The Heart Takes Sides
by YulieAna
Summary: The events take place after the Ash chapter. Orihime loses all faith in herself and desperately tries to bring Ulquiorra back but fails only to be arrested by Soul Society. What would become of them after that? FORMER TITLE: Irony of Fate.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The whiteness unnerved her. It was the same dreary whiteness as in that other place, the same dullness that filled her days with nothing but waiting. Some things never changed. Everything was white – the walls, the ceiling, the yukata she was wearing. Absolute monotony. On the other hand, nothing has changed, except for the location.

Orihime was sitting on a chair in a small room staring at the crescent moon outside of her barred window. She felt cursed, like she couldn't escape the same endless cycle that has been haunting her since she met _him_. At least in that place he kept her company. But here, nobody visited her, except for a random servant bringing her meals a few times a day.

Nobody forced her to eat, nobody forced her to speak, nobody forced her to think. Back then, _he_ made her feel anger, helplessness, despair. He made her _feel_. But in this place, nobody came for her.

The door opened and she heard someone coming in. Orihime reluctantly turned her head looking at an unfamiliar Shinigami she has never seen before.

There was no sympathy in his eyes. There was no sympathy anywhere, just like she expected.

"It's time to go." He said curtly.

Orihime nodded and stood up in compliance.

* * *

Four months ago…

Orihime watched in horror as Ichigo's Hollow was slaughtering Ulquiorra. It couldn't possibly be Ichigo. Ichigo was her friend, Ichigo was a nice and kind person, Ichigo would never do this. The monster in front of her could not be Ichigo.

But that did not make her feel any better. It was all her fault that he came out. If only she was stronger, if only she tried doing something, instead of crying for his help. Orihime felt disgusted with herself. Her friends came to rescue her, and she failed them. All of them.

She watched helplessly as Hollow Ichigo stood menacingly over Ulquiorra's broken body, preparing to attack him again.

"How very hollow-like." Ulquiorra's voice was barely audible. "I don't care. I have no reason to live now that you've beaten me."

_Such an awful thing to say! _ Orihime wanted to scream at him. _How can you just give up? _

Nobody heard her. Then, she saw Ichigo lowering his sword to Ulquiorra's neck.

Orihime wanted to cry, to yell for Ichigo to stop. Ulquiorra was still alive. Ichigo couldn't just kill him like this. But no words came out.

_You are pathetic._ She heard a faint voice inside her head.

Orihime felt even worse. She _was_ pathetic. She came to Hueco Mundo to protect her friends. But instead, she caused the one she wanted to help the most to become an abomination.

Her eyes trailed after Ishida, who came up to Ichigo trying to prevent him from committing another atrocity. She felt slight hope building up. Maybe there was still a chance to bring Ichigo back, to save him. Maybe Ishida could reach him. But, everything came crushing and burning as she watched Ichigo rising up his hand and ramming Zangetsu into Ishida's stomach.

It was all over. Ichigo was lost. Ishida was going to die, and she was next.

Orihime watched Ishida flying across the dome, then Ichigo casting his cero at him.

It was hopeless. They were all going to die.

Suddenly, Ulquiorra appeared behind Ichigo with his lance in his hand. Boom! Everything exploded. It was pure chaos.

After the smoke cleared, Orihime saw Ichigo's mask crumbling to the ground, revealing the human behind it. The monster was finally gone.

Ichigo collapsed releasing a huge surge or riatsu. Orihime expected him to be dead, to have a hole on his chest. Yet, there was nothing but solid skin. A few seconds ticked until he regained consciousness.

Orihime should've felt relief, she should've been happy. Ichigo was alive and well. He was finally back to his normal self. And she was glad, but she was far from happy.

This wasn't how Orihime imagined to be rescued. She never wanted for Ichigo to sacrifice his humanity for her sake. But he did, and it was because of her. It was because she was selfish and useless.

She wasn't worthy to be rescued. She wasn't even worthy to have friends. The only thing she deserved was to be left in this desolate place to rot. Orihime wished she was dead.

She turned her head to Ulquiorra, the ghost of a man who treaded on her shadow in this Hell. She watched his wing exploding and slowly disintegrating. He was dying. This is the kind of fate she deserved. Yet, she couldn't get even that.

Ulquiorra met her gaze locking his eyes with hers. Orihime felt strangely at peace. It was a bizarre feeling to have sympathy for the enemy, the very same enemy who killed the boy she thought she loved. She should've been angry, she should've been repulsed. Yet, she felt a strange sense of kinship with him. He was an outsider, who didn't look like he belonged anywhere, and so was she.

"Are you scared of me, girl?"

Orihime saw his arm extending towards her. He was slowly turning to ash. Just a little bit longer and he will completely disappear.

Even after everything that he has done: the violence, the murder, the despair, Orihime was not afraid of him. Maybe she should've been. But she wasn't, and she didn't even feel guilty about it.

"I am not scared." she replied, extending her arm back to him.

"I see." was all he said.

Orihime thought she heard a hint of surprise in his voice. Did he expect a different answer? Did he _want_ a different answer? She wanted answers herself. She wanted answers to why she felt the way she did, why she was never afraid. Why she was never angry at him, when by all means of common sense she should've been. Orihime felt confused and conflicted. But most importantly, she wasn't ready to say "good-bye" to him yet.

Orihime tried to grab on to Ulquiorra's hand, but her fingers went through his. There was nothing but ash.

_Take me with you! _Her mind screamed.

But there was no answer.

**

Orihime didn't know for how long she stood there staring at the place where Ulquiorra was. He was long gone, but the distant pain in her chest remained. She knew nothing anymore. What was happening to her?

"Inoue…" she finally heard Ichigo behind her.

Orihime did not want to turn around. She did not want to face him. Shame and self-loathing consumed her.

There were explosions in the distance. Someone was fighting.

"It's Rukia, Renji, and Chad." Ichigo said. "It is safe here now. I'll leave you to take care of Ishida."

Orihime nodded without turning around. A second later she heard Ichigo rushing away.

_So much for the rescue._

Almost mechanically, she turned around and started walking towards Ishida. He was breathing very hard and lost a lot of blood. Orihime winced at the size of the wound on his stomach.

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject." She said quietly, watching her fairies create a warm glow around him.

Ishida looked up at her and tried to smile in reassurance, but Orihime couldn't look back. She cast her gaze aside.

"Inoue-san. It's all over now. Kurosaki is ok."

If only he knew how hollow those words sounded to her. _Hollow…_

Little by little, Ishida's wound started to close up and his arm was restored. But Orihime did not notice. Her gaze remained transfixed on the ground and her thoughts went to the place where her demon disappeared to.

An overwhelming sense of longing washed over her. Ichigo was gone, Ishida was healed. They did not need her anymore.

But _he_ did. Even after everything that has happened between them, he still reached for her in his last moments. But she couldn't save even him.

"I couldn't save him." She didn't mean to say it out loud.

"Don't worry. Kurosaki snapped out of it, didn't he?"

"Kuro-? What?" She looked up at Ishida in confusion, not realizing what she said a moment ago.

"Kurosaki became human again."

Orihime gave him a blank stare.

"You meant Kurosaki, right?" Ishida asked cautiously.

Orihime only continued staring at him while her mind raced. _What if I…_

"Inoue-san!"

"I'm sorry, Ishida-kun." She smiled regretfully. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

"What are you doing?!"

"I can't let it end like this. He did not deserve that kind of death."

"Are you talking about…?" Ishida asked in disbelief. "No, you can't!"

"I'm sorry." Orihime whispered, turning her back to him and concentrating on her shield.

"What if he turns on us again? Did you consider _that_?!"

But Orihime did not hear him. Everyone deserved a second chance. Ichigo was her hero, the center of her world. But he turned into a monster, and hurt them. Yet, Ichigo survived. But the monster, that saved them, did not. Where was fairness in that?

She remembered Ulquiorra's face just before he disappeared. She could've sworn she saw remorse, tenderness, and longing. That face haunted her. She couldn't get it out of her mind. Was he really the enemy?

Orihime did not know for how long she stood there. She finally looked inside the shield. Nothing. There were no traces of Ulquiorra. She concentrated harder, pushing her riatsu to the limit. _What is the point of having this power if I can't even bring one person back?_

"I reject!" she screamed again.

"You are pushing yourself too hard. If you continue like this, you will collapse." She heard Ishida behind her.

But Orihime did not care. She was NOT useless.

Ishida put his hand on her shoulder squeezing it gently.

"Seems like it's impossible to bring the dead from the grave even for you. Maybe it's for the best." He said. "He was the enemy after all."

"Maybe he wasn't." she whispered lowering her arms.

The shield disappeared. There was nothing but sand.

**

A month later…

All of the Espada were defeated. The captains were victorious. However, the final assault against Aizen failed. Ichigo was their last chance against him, yet even he couldn't withstand Aizen's hypnosis. Aizen tricked them all and disappeared again. There were no traces of him anywhere. But the threat was still real, as it was assumed that he retreated to regroup and rebuild his army.

Orihime could finally give out a sigh of relief, the war was officially over. But she did not anticipate what came next. The Captain-General released a warrant for her arrest. The Soul Society did not only deem her as a traitor, to the greatest protests of Ichigo and the rest of her friends, but they also saw her powers as unstable. They did not trust that she won't misuse them. They also found out that she attempted to restore Ulquiorra. That one was the worst. And shortly after the war ended, Orihime was brought to Soul Society to stand trial.

After another disappointment, where she failed to bring Ulquiorra back, Orihime completely lost all faith in herself and the will to fight against the system. She was convinced that Ulquiorra wasn't the real enemy and she did not hide it. Despite Rukia's protest, threats, and pleadings, she refused to make amends. Orihime was not sorry she tried.

"They will execute you!" Rukia yelled through the cell bars. "Remember what happened to me? My crime wasn't as bad as yours, and I was almost killed! You stand no chance if you do not change your mind about this."

"I will not change my mind about anything." Orihime replied tonelessly.

"Do you want to die?!?" Rukia screamed.

"Maybe it will be for the best for everyone." Orihime said, having the image of Hollow Ichigo in her mind.

"You stupid fool!" Rukia had tears running down her cheeks. "You stupid fool."

Another week passed. Orihime's friends were allowed to visit her, yet no amount of reasoning brought her to her senses. Orihime simply did not care anymore. Despite Ichigo's demands to Yamamoto, and his past accomplishments, nobody listened to him. The news about his transformation leaked out as well. But since he had no control over his hollow when it happened, he got lucky. Soul Society decided to keep a close eye on him and to train him to maintain control over his hollow, instead of awarding him with the same treatment they gave Orihime.

The long and exhausting trial was finally over. Orihime did not budge. And her execution was scheduled in three months.

Her friends were not allowed to visit her anymore.

* * *

Present, the day of the execution…

Orihime trailed behind the Shinigami who came to get her from her cell. There were two guards on both sides of her, and one behind her. She wondered if it was necessary. Her hairpins were removed and given to the Department of Research and Development for studying. She was completely stripped of all her power. But despite that, she still had her hands tied behind her back, as a precaution.

Even after taking the source of her power away, they still saw her as a threat. Orihime found it a little funny that the power of one little girl, like herself, made Soul Society tick. Maybe they were right, even she did not know what she was capable of.

They finally reached the clearing where she will take her last breath. In just a few minutes, a giant fiery bird will be her final salvation. But, Orihime felt neither peace nor despair. She felt nothing. What will become of her afterwards?

_I wonder if Rukia felt the same way._

All of her friends were there, but she refused to look at them. It was better to cut all ties, instead of shedding tears for the one unworthy.

Orihime finally stopped under the giant arc. She felt an invisible force rising her arms to her sides.

"Do you have any last requests?" the Captain-General asked her.

Orihime shook her head.

He nodded and gave the order to begin.

Orihime felt herself rising into the air. Just a few more minutes and it will all be over. No more nothingness, no more uselessness. She closed her eyes.

She felt enormous riatsu surrounding her. There was roar all around her. Just a little bit longer…

One moment she was in the air anticipating her doom, the next, she felt something enveloping her and carrying her away. Orihime opened her eyes. There was bright light everywhere. She could barely understand what was happening. But for just a split second, she thought she saw a pair of black wings.

Then, she felt warmth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Orihime opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Was she dead? She didn't feel dead at all, but very much alive. What happened to her? Where was she? The last moments of her execution seemed a little fuzzy. Orihime wasn't sure what happened. She had a hard time recalling it, but she could've sworn that something happened. Then, a silhouette she couldn't quite identify went through her mind. Orihime was more confused than ever.

She turned her head sideways, studying her surroundings. There was a barred window, some strange looking furniture, a green couch she was laying on, and an ugly rug on the floor. Orihime gasped at the sudden realization. She was in her old room in Las Noches.

"You are finally awake."

She sat up in alarm. There was no need to look at the person to know who the voice belonged to. Orihime slowly turned her head and stared. There, in the corner, with his back to the wall and hands in his pockets, stood a very much alive Ulquiorra. Without another word he started walking towards her.

"You're alive!" Orihime breathed out.

"That's very observant of you."

"How is that possible?! I saw you die!"

"Not quite."

As he came closer, Orihime was able to take a good look at him. It was still Ulquiorra, with the stern expression on his face and the usual air of arrogance, but there were a few slight changes. The remains of his mask and the tear marks were gone. His skin tone wasn't ashen white anymore. He was still pale, but he had a normal, _human_, color. He wasn't wearing an Arrancar uniform either, but something that could've passed for human clothes. Orihime would've never imagined to ever see him in a T-shirt and jeans.

Ulquiorra noticed her eyes roaming all over him.

"Urahara Kisuke is very resourceful."

"Why aren't you wearing a uniform?" she asked cautiously.

"Do you always ask irrelevant questions?"

Orihime looked away. She had no idea what was going on, why Ulquiorra was alive, why she was back in Las Noches. But she was glad that he was alive.

"What happened to you?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"It does not matter. There are bigger problems at hand."

"Did Aizen order you to bring me here again?" There was a hint of worry in her voice.

"Aizen is not here."

"I don't understand…"

"Right before the war ended, Aizen disappeared. Nobody knows where he is. If he planned on returning to Hueco Mundo, he would've done it by now." Ulquiorra paused studying her for a moment, "If I knew it wasn't safe, I would've never brought you here."

"Why did you bring me here at all?"

"This is where Soul Society is least likely to look for you."

Orihime shook her head. Nothing ever worked the way she wanted to.

"I thought it will be over. I was resolved to end this. Why did you save me?"

Ulquiorra stared at her. This woman confused him. Nothing ever made sense with her. He just saved her from death, why wasn't she happy?

"I don't understand you. Did you _want_ to die?"

"I could never do anything right, even when I wanted to. At the end, I even failed to bring you back." Her breath caught in her throat. "I just don't want to be useless anymore."

"You did not fail to bring me back."

Orihime looked a little surprised.

"I _chose_ not to come back through you." he continued.

She had a million questions piling up. She wanted an explanation, but before she could open her mouth again, she saw Ulquiorra throwing something on the couch.

"We are wasting time. Get dressed." He ordered looking at her expectantly.

Orihime looked down. "Do you want me to wear _this_?" She pointed at the Arrancar uniform.

"There are no other clothes available."

"If you aren't wearing it, I am not wearing it either."

"You are being obstinate."

"If I am to stay here, I want to bring a few things from my apartment, including my _own_ clothes."

"Impossible. As soon as we step into the human world, Soul Society will intercept us."

"The last time I remember, you gave me a bracelet to hide my riatsu. Don't you have any more of those?"

Ulquiorra did not answer right away. None of it made sense to him. This woman always put too much importance into the oddest things.

"Is it really important to you?" he finally asked her.

"Yes. I don't ever want to wear _this_ again. If you don't have those bracelets for both of us, just give me one..."

"We are going _together_." He interrupted her "Wait here. I will be back shortly."

* * *

They sat in silence on a patio at Kuchiki estate. After the execution, the friends barely spoke to each other. Each was lost in their own thoughts, secretly blaming themselves for failing to save Orihime. How could they allow their friend to let herself sink so low? What used to be a cheerful and life loving girl, turned into a brooding shadow. When they last saw her, she was practically unrecognizable.

"We should've tried harder…" Rukia said brokenly.

Nobody knew what to say. What could they say? They thought it would be easy to persuade her, to bring Orihime back to her senses. But it was like something snapped inside of her. At the end, Orihime was a completely different person.

"Why did she try to bring Ulquiorra back?" Ichigo asked.

Ishida shook his head. "I don't know. After you left, it's like she lost it. Seeing your hollow must've had more impact on her than we thought."

Ichigo looked away. Even though he could not remember anything, that did not make him feel any better at all. He didn't need to be told what he did, seeing Zangetsu in Ishida's gut was more than he could handle. And imagining a girl like Orihime witnessing all of that was enough to realize the kind of effect his cursed transformation had.

Before he could say anything, everyone noticed Hell Butterflies flying towards them, and then they heard a transmitted message.

"_Attention everyone! The Captains' meeting is scheduled to be held in half an hour at the 1__st__ Division's headquarters. Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia, and Ishida Uryu are ordered to participate."_

Half an hour later, the trio stood in the middle of the meeting hall with captains and vice-captains lined up on both sides of the room, and the Captain-General looking sternly at them.

"It seems that we've underestimated Inoue Orihime." He said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo demanded.

"We believe she wasn't killed by Soukyouko. Something or someone rescued her seconds before the impact."

"Who was that, Captain-General?" Rukia asked.

Yamamoto eyed them suspiciously. "That is what we are investigating."

"But how is that possible? What makes you think that she was rescued? And who would be capable to pull that off?"

"We don't know yet, but we picked up traces of another riatsu around the arc. It wasn't Inoue Orihime's."

* * *

Ulquiorra stood in the middle of Orihime's living room watching her fussing around the apartment. He still wasn't sure why he agreed to this. It made no sense for him to go to all this trouble for just a few pieces of clothes. The importance of his uniform lasted for as long as his service to Aizen. Otherwise, it didn't hold any value for him. So, why was she making such a big deal about it? And what was worse, he yielded to her whim without even putting up a fight. Instead, he went to Szayel's old laboratory and picked up two bracelets that she requested. Why was it always like that with this woman? His brain always failed to function properly when he was around her.

His eyes suddenly stopped on a photograph of a handsome young man.

"Who is this?"

Orihime followed his gaze and smiled faintly.

"Sora, my brother."

"Where is he?"

"Probably in Soul Society, after Ichigo purified him."

Ulquiorra frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Sora died in an accident four years ago. But about a year ago, he came back as a Hollow and tried to kill me."

Orihime gave a soft laugh. "I never had much luck with Hollows. First it was my brother, then you."

"I _was_ a Hollow." Ulquiorra said quietly.

Orihime turned her head and looked at him, expecting an explanation.

"My hole is gone." he continued pulling down his collar. The empty space inside his chest was no longer there.

"Are you…" Orihime caught her breath "Are you a human now?"

"No. I don't know what I am. I can still go into my 1st and 2nd release. I seem to have more power now, and I don't need a Zanpakutou to transform."

"Where you in your 2nd release when you saved me?"

"Yes."

"How did you get into Soul Society?"

"Urahara Kisuke."

Orihime turned to him, nervously running her hands through her hair.

"Ulquiorra… Why didn't you return when I used my powers?"

"If I returned at that time, then I wouldn't have been able to save you from execution. Soul Society would've been after me as well."

"You knew I would be executed? But how?"

"Soul Society is notorious for not being particularly merciful, especially towards those who break their rules."

* * *

Five days ago…

Urahara sat outside of his shop staring into space in front of him. He's been having a lot of visitors lately. On a normal day, they would usually come to look at his merchandise. But lately, they were all interested in the same thing, or same person to be exact, Inoue Orihime. Urahara knew very well what was going on. The execution was in five days, and a certain group of friends wanted to compromise it. Unfortunately, Soul Society anticipated his interference and took the necessary measures to shut him down, which made it impossible for him to do anything for the Substitute Shinigami. If only there was another way, which did not involve the Shinigami methods. Soul Society remembered very well what he did for Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends in their quests to save Rukia and Orihime. And they were dead serious this time.

One moment he was enjoying his solitude, the next he saw the space in front of him open and someone stepping out. Urahara has never seen this person before. He looked human, yet he was wearing an Arrancar uniform.

"Are you Urahara Kisuke?" The stranger asked him.

"I am. And who might you be?"

"Former 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer. I require your assistance."

Urahara hid his surprise. Rumor had it that Kurosaki Ichigo defeated an Espada by the name of Schiffer, yet here he was standing in front of him alive and well.

"What exactly do you need from me?" Urahara asked him skeptically.

"Is it possible to use the Garganta signature to open a portal to Soul Society?"

_That could actually work!_ "Perhaps, why do you need to know?"

"I need you to open up a gateway to Soul Society at a specific date and time. Everything has to be precise, no miscalculations."

"Interesting. Are you going to give me a reason why?"

Ulquiorra looked at him for a moment, contemplating whether he should tell him. He didn't want to reveal too much to the former Shinigami. What if he refused to help him? But, perhaps it was wiser to comply if he wanted Urahara's cooperation.

"I am planning to rescue Inoue Orihime."

"Oh, are you now? Can you prove that it is your real goal, instead of getting a free passage to Soul Society for whatever other reason?"

Ulquiorra unzipped the top of his jacket to reveal solid skin where his Hollow hole used to be. "I am no longer an Arrancar. And neither do I serve Aizen anymore. This is a personal request."

Urahara did not try to conceal his shock. He's never seen anything like this before. A Hollow, a _former_ Hollow, without a hole in his chest asking for a "favor". This "personal request" intrigued him quite a bit.

"Schiffer-san, may I ask why you want to save the girl?"

Ulquiorra looked away without giving an answer.

Urahara saw his hesitation and grinned. _The plot thickens_. He certainly wanted to help Orihime, but Soul Society's interference made it impossible. And, Ulquiorra's sudden appearance was quite timely. "Alright, I will help you. But if I find out that your mission is not what you said, I will close the portal immediately and let Soul Society deal with you however they see fit. Are we clear?"

Ulquiorra nodded.

"Tell me when and where to open the passageway. And, one more thing," he paused, looking at the Arrancar uniform "you might want to change into something more appropriate, so nobody would be suspecting that you might still be working for Aizen."

Five days later Ulquiorra was back at the shop dressed in the clothes that Urahara so graciously provided for him. No payment was needed. Urahara hasn't had this much fun since the Hueco Mundo rescue, and he felt that this one would be even bigger. He held his end of the bargain and opened the gateway right where Ulquiorra wanted it, above the arc seconds before Orihime would be consumed by flames.

Before going through, Ulquiorra transformed. What seemed like a human a moment ago now looked like a demon. Without another word he disappeared into the portal.

* * *

Orihime sat in her new room in Las Noches. Since she wasn't a prisoner here anymore, she was provided with better accommodations. Her mood has slightly improved because she finally had her things and the freedom to go out and do whatever she wanted. However, the fact that she had to stay here indefinitely still bothered her. Despite her freedom, this wasn't home.

And Ulquiorra confused her more than ever. If he wasn't working for Aizen, why did he save her? Did he need something from her? That idea somehow unnerved her. Orihime wasn't sure why, but she hoped that he didn't have an ulterior motive. That he saved her simply because…

"I am coming in." His voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hi…" she said awkwardly, avoiding Ulquiorra's eyes.

"Do you have everything that you require now?" he asked, making his way towards her.

"Yes, thank you."

"Get a good sleep tonight. We are going out tomorrow."

"What? Where?" she looked at him in surprise.

"We are going to find Grimmjow and the others."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"We are going to find Grimmjow and the others." Ulquiorra finally came to stand in front of her.

Orihime stared at him in shock. Ulquiorra couldn't be serious. Grimmjow? GRIMMJOW?! The psychotic lunatic who kidnapped her and forced her to heal Ichigo, then almost chocked her? And who were those _others_? The rest of their goon squad? What if the former Espada went out of control and turned on them? She knew that Ulquiorra was strong, incredibly strong, but will he be able to handle all of them at once?

"I refuse! I will absolutely not agree to this. Have you forgotten what Grimmjow did? He is crazy!" she protested.

"Perhaps, but he is a valuable asset in the upcoming fight." Ulquiorra replied calmly.

"What _upcoming fight_? With _whom_?"

"Soul Society, and possibly Aizen."

"You said that Soul Society will not look for me here! And Aizen disappeared! _What_ fight are you talking about?"

"This is not just about your safety, but regaining control over Hueco Mundo and establishing defense against Soul Society. They will not stop fighting Hollows, and they kill them indiscriminately. There is also a possibility they will eventually find out where you are and learn about my change."

Orihime was about to object but Ulquiorra interrupted her.

"This change is not important to me since I didn't lose any of my powers, but it is very likely to pose a threat to them. There is a good chance they will want to dispose of me. If they succeed, there will be nobody to protect you."

"But my friends…"

"…attended your execution." He cut her off in annoyance.

Orihime shot him an angry look, but Ulquiorra was unmoved. He just stood and looked down at her with his usual coolness. She sunk down into an armchair in frustration.

Ulquiorra understood her anger all too well. She hated going against her friends again, but she didn't have a choice. Neither Kurosaki, nor anyone else had the resources to protect her.

"You are not betraying them, if that is what you're worried about."

Orihime did not respond. She put her knees up to her chest and lowered her forehead on them.

"This is about your survival. We are not doing this to fight them, but to protect ourselves."

After a long pause, Orihime finally looked up at him.

"Aren't all of the Espada supposed to be dead?" she asked.

"Some are."

"So, how are you going to bring them back?"

"Your powers."

"Oh, I get it. This is why you brought me here, to help you restore your army." She stood up and took a step towards Ulquiorra, looking him straight in the eyes. "I am sorry to disappoint you, Ulquiorra, but I don't have my powers anymore. Soul Society took them away when they confiscated my hairpins."

"Ridiculous. Your powers are part of you, not a piece of metal."

"I thought so too, until I couldn't summon my fairies anymore."

"This will put a detour on our plans, but it doesn't matter. Tomorrow, we will restore your powers." Ulquiorra said matter-of-factly.

Orihime was slightly amused by his confidence. They were _her_ powers, yet he acted like he knew more about them than she did.

"How?" she asked incredulously.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow."

With those words he turned around and headed for the door.

"Make sure you rest tonight." he said without turning around and exited the room.

* * *

Orihime was tossing and turning all night. Even though she understood Ulquiorra's intentions, bringing such characters back, like Grimmjow, absolutely terrified her. And who else did he want to bring back? Nnoitra? What if they did not change? What if they still had the same attitude towards her? Did that meant that she would always have to depend on Ulquiorra for protection? What if he wouldn't be around at all times? All these thoughts left her completely restless.

Even though Hueco Mundo remained in constant dark, Orihime felt like the "dawn" was approaching, but she barely got any sleep. She started wondering how Ulquiorra planned to restore her powers. Will he tell her to call out her Shun Shun Rikka until they appeared? For how long did he plan on trying? What if it didn't work? All of those questions were driving her crazy.

Orihime finally sat up in bed.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject." She said into the empty room.

Nothing.

_It will be harder than I thought._

She fell back onto the pillows and looked out of the window. Unlike in that other room, this one was actually big and it didn't have bars. But the view was all the same, the dull crescent moon. Orihime knew what she had to do. She will do her best to restore those powers. She will keep trying no matter what. Even though Ulquiorra said he will protect her, she couldn't just rely on him all the time. She had to learn to protect herself. Orihime felt a little bit more sure of herself and it made her feel more at ease. Then, she closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Orihime woke up with a start. She could've sworn she heard the door of her room closing. She got up and looked around. There was a tray of food on the table. Then she heard her stomach growling.

Fifteen minutes later the tray was empty and she was lazily humming in the shower. Orihime was excited about getting her powers back. It's been a long time since she saw her fairies last and she missed them.

She finally got dressed and was about to go out when she heard a knock on the door and someone coming in. Orihime turned around and met a pair of green eyes looking at her.

She smiled. "Thank you for bringing the food."

"A servant brought it."

"Really? There are still servants in this place even after Aizen left?"

"Hollows belong in Hueco Mundo and they follow whoever is the strongest."

"And now that will be you."

"Correct."

Orihime rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"So, Ulquiorra, how exactly are we going to get my powers back?"

"You will see."

Before she could respond, Ulquiorra was face-to-face with her, his hand on her waist.

"What are you doing?!" Orihime felt herself blush.

"Unless you can keep up with my sonido, you should hold on to me."

Then, she felt herself move at an enormous speed. Reflexively, Orihime flung her arms around Ulquiorra's neck and pressed herself against him. He did not budge, but she could've sworn she felt his hold on her waist tightening. A few moments later they were in the middle of the desert, miles away from Las Noches. As they stopped, he immediately released her.

"Now what?" Orihime asked him breathlessly.

"Now, you're going to try on your own."

"Huh? _My own_? Are you planning on leaving me here?"

"The only person who can restore your powers is you. I am not needed."

"You are not going to just leave me here! What if there are other Hollows around?!"

"There _are_ other hollows around." Ulquiorra replied, completely undisturbed by the fact, "They are primitive and hungry."

"What if I get killed?!"

"Whether you get killed or not is entirely up to you. Your survival instinct is what you need to call onto your fairies and live through this. I will be back in five hours." And with those words he disappeared.

Orihime could not believe it. He just left her here!

"Ulquiorra! Come back!" she yelled after him.

No response.

_He was serious! What am I going to do now?!_

Orihime looked at the endless sea of sand around her. She could see Las Noches in the distance, but it was too far away to walk. She sat down trying to assess the situation. So, Ulquiorra said she should use her survival instinct, yet there was nobody in sight. What will she do for the next five hours? Were there really hollows around? She couldn't believe he did this to her. What if he was wrong? What if she won't be able to summon her fairies?

Orihime was so lost in thought that she did not notice a shadow roaming over her. Then, she heard growling. She spun around and saw a hollow the size of a small elephant towering over her.

"You smell nice." the hollow purred. "Delicious. Want to play?"

Orihime jumped to her feet taking a few steps backwards. "Play? Like hide-an-seek?" she gave a nervous laugh.

"More like 'where is my lunch'. What do you say?"

Before Orihime could respond, the hollow jumped in front of her. She started running. With a rasped laugh, the monster followed after her. Orihime had no idea where she was going, everything looked the same. She finally climbed over a small dune and spotted trees a short distance away. Without another thought she took off into their direction.

_Maybe I can shake it off in that forest!_

She ran into the forest trying to hide herself among the trees. There was loud noise up above. She looked up and saw birds.

_More Hollows!_

Then she heard branches breaking behind her. Orihime peeked from around a tree and saw the same hollow sniffing the air, trying to find her. Terrified, she put a hand over her mouth trying to calm her rapid breathing. _I am not going to die here! I am not going to die here!_ She frantically searched her surroundings, her gaze finally stopping on a thick branch on the ground. Orihime grabbed it and raised it into the air preparing to defend herself. The hollow never came. When she looked around the tree again, the hollow was gone. Then, she heard a noise behind her and froze.

A large bird landed a few feet away, looking straight at her. Orihime slowly turned around. They stared at each other for a few moments, before the bird made another loud noise and flew towards Orihime. Orihime swung the branch and hit her target. The bird fell on the ground shaking in frantic spasms. But Orihime was not done. She kept hitting it again and again, until it exploded.

"There you are!" someone laughed.

Orihime turned her head and came face-to-face with the same hollow that was pursuing her earlier. She pointed her "weapon" at it slowly backing away.

"What's this? A stick?" the hollow sneered in amusement.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject." Orihime whispered.

Nothing.

"What are you babbling about?" the hollow asked in annoyance, raising its hand and preparing to strike her.

Orihime ducked her head and swung the branch, hitting the hollow on the shoulder.

"What was that? So the brat wants to play tough! I am game!"

Orihime started running again. The tree branches were thick and sharp. They caught her hair, and scratched her skin until it started to bleed. Orihime suppressed the urge to scream in pain. She had to get away. She had to survive. She had to summon Tsubaki.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" she cried out.

Desire to live was overwhelming, she wasn't ready to die just yet. Then, she felt something stirring inside of her.

"Tsubaki!" she yelled.

The hollow almost caught up with her. Orihime didn't have the strength to run anymore. This was it. She either had to fight or to die. She turned around and threw the branch that she had in her hand at the monster. The hollow didn't even bother to get out of the way. The wood hit it on the head and split in two.

Then, it gave another hoarse laugh and shoved her, sending Orihime flying into a tree. Sharp pain sliced through her body. She felt blood running down the side of her face, but it was the least of her concerns. She wasn't ready to give up just yet. Orihime slowly got up, trying to stand on shaky legs. Her body was heavy, and she felt like she was going to faint. But she brushed the feeling away putting her arms out and concentrating on only one thing.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

She felt a surge going through her body and saw a flash of light.

"What is this, a fly?" the hollow sneered, trying to hit something in the air.

Orihime narrowed her eyes trying to see what it was. Maintaining her concentration was harder than she thought. The pain was getting stronger, and her head was pounding.

Then she felt something buzzing next to her ear.

"Woman! Concentrate! We almost had him!"

Orihime turned her head at the familiar voice and met the eyes of a very annoyed fairy frowning at her.

"Tsubaki! You are back! I am so happy to see…"

"There is no time for this, you dimwit. Throw me at that hollow again, but try to _aim_ this time."

**

Ulquiorra watched the spectacle below him. The woman surely knew how to hold her own. He didn't expect her powers to awaken so soon. It has only been two hours, and she already summoned Tsubaki. The rest of her fairies most likely returned as well. Ulquiorra witnessed everything, how she ran into the forest, how she fought off the bird, how she stood up to the hollow. Every time he thought he had to go down and interfere, she was able to handle it herself. And now she was about to shoot her fairy again. She was truly amazing and strong.

He didn't like the fact that she got hurt, but it couldn't be helped. Ever since they were reunited, Ulquiorra had an irrepressible desire to protect her, even more so than before. He wasn't sure why, and it bothered him. And this new sensation in his chest was another problem he had to deal with. It felt almost like pain, but it wasn't. Was it because of this change? Or was it because of her?

There was an explosion down below. The smoke cleared and the hollow was gone. She won the fight and it was time to end this show. They've reached their goal. She has had enough.

**

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

Orihime watched Tsubaki slice through the hollow's chest, causing it to explode. She did it, she finally did it! But her mental celebration was interrupted by the commotion above. The explosion disturbed the birds causing them to fly off the trees and to head into her direction. Bleeding and exhausted, Orihime was in no condition to fight off a new horde of hollows. She sunk to the ground preparing for the impact. But before they could reach her, she saw a flash of green light. A second later, the hollows were no more. Was she hallucinating? What was going on? She wasn't sure anymore, and neither did she have the strength to find out. Orihime tried to get up, but the fatigue overpowered her. She closed her eyes, but before she let the darkness take her, she thought she saw a figure standing over her.

* * *

Orihime woke up in her bed. She still felt pain from her latest endeavor, but it wasn't nearly as intense as before. Then she felt someone touching her. She opened her eyes and saw a servant Arrancar bandaging her ankle. Ulquiorra stood a few feet away watching. As soon as the servant noticed her, she stood up, bowed and left the room.

After she closed the door, Ulquiorra's eyes flew to Orihime studying her with intensity.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" he finally asked her.

Orihime was still angry about him leaving her in the desert. The fact that he did it without a second thought bothered her to no end. Didn't he care at all about what happened to her?

She looked away without answering.

"You are angry."

Orihime did not respond.

"Fine. Get some rest. I will be back later." Ulquiorra was about to leave but her words stopped him.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" She asked, anger in her voice.

"What did you want me to say?" he said evenly.

"You just _left_ me there! I almost _died_!"

Ulquiorra came up to her side. The woman was fuming.

"I did not leave you." he said looking down at her. "I followed to make sure nothing happened to you."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" she asked still avoiding his eyes.

"You needed to know you were on your own, so you would rely only on yourself."

"Those birds…did you..?"

"Yes."

Orihime sighed. So he did save her.

"Thank you." she murmured.

"You don't need to thank me. I was just…"

"Why are you always like that?" she finally looked up at him. He was standing within an arm's reach.

Ulquiorra looked at her like he did not know what she was talking about.

Orihime shook her head in frustration. "Every time I think that you might actually... Argh! Why is this so difficult?!"

"You are tired. Get some sleep."

She ignored him. Her gaze trailed from his face to his chest. And then she remembered what he showed her.

"How does it feel?" she asked getting up on her knees to stand in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

Orihime put her hand on his chest and looked at him. "Not having a hollow hole."

Ulquiorra put his hand over hers. His hand lingered for a few seconds as they stared at each other. Orihime saw a strange flicker in his eyes, something that she hasn't noticed before.

Then, he pulled her hand away and headed for the door. But he stopped and tilted his head sideways before opening it.

"It hurts." There was something strange in the way he said it. Then, he quietly left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"They are convinced that Inoue was rescued." Ichigo said, with his friends joining him in Urahara's living room.

After the captains' meeting, they left Soul Society and headed straight to Urahara's shop. Orihime's rescue set them at ease. Their friend was alive. But now they had a new problem to worry about. If she was rescued, _who_ rescued her? And _where_ was she? None of them could sense her riatsu, which meant that she was not in the human world.

"They told us there was a foreign riatsu around the execution site. And it wasn't Shinigami's."

"Do you have any ideas what's going on?" Rukia interjected.

Urahara swung his fan lazily with an expression of absolute cluelessness. "Forgive me, Kuchiki-san, but it seems like I know as much as you do."

"Why didn't she contact us?"

"Maybe, she does not want to be found." he said thoughtfully.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo demanded.

"Just thinking out loud," Urahara laughed, "Don't pay any attention to me."

"It's so not like Inoue. She doesn't just disappear without a trace."

But all of them knew that it was the furthest from the truth. It wasn't the first time Orihime disappeared, but at least back then they knew the cause of it. This time, they weren't even close.

"What if something happened to her and she needs our help?" Rukia asked again.

Urahara smiled to himself. He was almost sure that it wasn't the case. If it wasn't for that Espada, Orihime would've been dust. And he had a feeling that Schiffer had no intention of harming her. But the question was: why did he want to save her so much? What was it to him? Urahara had a nagging feeling that something must've happened in Hueco Mundo, something that made this Arrancar seem more…human.

The meeting proved to be fruitless. Urahara did not know anything and neither did he have any leads. Neither arguing nor debating moved them forward. So, the friends finally left more troubled than before.

"Why didn't you tell them?" Urahara heard Yoruichi behind him.

"What do you mean, Yoruichi-san?"

With one quick stride she was standing in front of him, hands on her hips, and a frown that made Urahara wince.

"I knew you were lying from the start. What are you hiding, Kisuke?"

Urahara sighed. He knew he couldn't hide anything from that damn woman. She saw right through him.

"Five days before the execution, I had an interesting visitor. He wanted me to open a portal to Soul Society."

"Who was it?"

"A former Espada that Kurosaki defeated back in Hueco Mundo. He said he wanted to save Inoue-san."

Yoruichi stared at him in surprise. "An Espada? But how is that possible? All of them are dead."

"I don't know. But when I asked him to prove that he was was not lying, he revealed that he wasn't a hollow anymore. There was no hollow hole, and apparently he wasn't working for Aizen either. Since he did not wreck any havoc in Soul Society, he was telling the truth."

"So that means…" Yoruichi said thoughtfully, "that Orihime is with him."

"I believe so."

"Where do you think they are?"

"They are neither in the human world nor Soul Society. The only other place I can think of is…

"...Hueco Mundo." Yoruichi finished for him. "Why did you keep this from them?"

"If they found out, Ichigo would've asked me to open a portal to Hueco Mundo, which would've attracted Soul Society. They are not the nicest lot if you remember what happened to us, Rukia, and Orihime. If it can be helped, it's better they don't know, until we think of a plan to bring Orihime back without having her arrested again."

* * *

Orihime was baffled. Since their last encounter, Ulquiorra barely came to visit her. She had a nagging feeling that he was avoiding her. _Was it because I got too familiar with him?_ She remembered when she asked him about his hollow hole and the look he gave her when she touched his chest. She thought she saw something that almost resembled tenderness, but it was over before she could figure out what it was. Ulquiorra gave her a few days to recover and she barely saw him. Orihime was getting restless again. Today they were supposed to start working on their plan and Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found.

Orihime did not want to wait any longer. She was sick of sitting within the same four walls for the past three days. She needed to get out.

She exited her room and started down the corridor. Everything was quiet, white, and identical, just like she remembered. However, the lesser Arrancar did not ignore or sneer at her anymore, as they did when she first arrived to Las Noches. Now she was treated with an air of apprehension and reserved admiration. Orihime wondered if it was Ulquiorra's influence, or if they saw her differently.

She rounded the corner and came up to a set of huge doors. Orihime was giddy with excitement. She's never gotten a chance to explore Las Noches, and now that she had the freedom to do so, her curiosity was getting the best of her.

She pushed the doors and stepped inside. But what waited on the other side left her completely in awe. Orihime has never seen so many books before. She couldn't believe that this treasure was so easily left behind. It was a collection of everything from the human world and Soul Society and she was itching to read all of it.

She was about to head towards the book shelves, when she heard a voice behind her.

"What are you doing?"

She turned her head seeing Ulquiorra standing in the doorway, with his usual hands-in-the-pockets look, frowning at her.

"I got bored being by myself. How did you know I was here?"

"I followed your riatsu."

Orihime nodded. His stare was unnerving. She suddenly realized that being in his company made her nervous. "Is there something you wanted?" She asked timidly.

"We have things to do." He said coming up to her. "Hold on to me." And then Orihime found herself in his arms again. A second later she had the same uncomfortable sensation in the pit of her stomach as he sonidoed across Las Noches.

Being held by him again made Orihime turn several shades of red, yet, Ulquiorra did not seem to notice the proximity at all, which made her even more anxious. His face always maintained the same expression of indifference in every situation. And Orihime wondered if he even noticed what he was doing.

Ulquiorra wore normal clothes now, and she often caught herself staring at him. To her he was handsome. And if he actually attended her school, Orihime was sure every girl in sight would've been after him. He wasn't very tall, but he had a lean body and the greenest eyes she's ever seen. Orihime felt her heart flutter at the site of him.

Several moments later they finally landed in front of huge doors.

"What is this place?" Orihime asked.

"Szayel's laboratory."

He released her and effortlessly opened the door letting her in.

There were containers and bottles everywhere filled with strange liquids and body parts. Finally, Orihime's gaze stopped on two bodies in the midst of it all. She came closer and gasped. In front of her, lying perfectly still, were Grimmjow and Nnoitra, from head to toe covered in sand. Unlike the human bodies, which would've been decomposed by now, they were perfectly preserved.

"How did you find them?" Orihime asked, feeling her uneasiness building.

"There were still traces of their riatsu in the desert after the fight with Kurosaki and the Shinigami captain."

"Really? After all this time?" she asked looking down at the two in front of her. "What are you going to do now?"

"Revive them."

Orihime cast an anxious glance at Ulquiorra. "Are you sure it is the right thing to do? What if you won't be able to control them? What if they…?"

"They won't. I will not let anything happen to you." He met her gaze, looking at her steadily.

Even though the idea still seemed crazy to her, Orihime somehow trusted his reassurance.

"Use your powers on them."

Orihime hesitated for a moment before calling out her fairies. Having Grimmjow and Nnoitra around was scary, very scary. But as long as Ulquiorra was near, she felt safer.

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject."

She put her arms in front of her, silently guiding her fairies to form a shield around the Arrancar. From the corner of her eye she saw Ulquiorra coming to stand next to her, watching her fairies at work.

Soon, the tattered uniforms started looking like new and the sand disappeared. A few seconds later, the Arrancar opened their eyes.

Orihime put her fairies away and took a step backwards casting an anxious glance at Ulquiorra. He remained perfectly calm, studying the newly alive duo in front of him.

"What the hell did you do?" Grimmjow asked somewhat confused and annoyed.

"Brought you back from the dead." Ulquiorra answered.

"I didn't ask for this shit, did I?" Nnoitra cut in.

"Being dead is quite useless."

"I _wanted_ to be dead. It was a fair fight!" Nnoitra grumbled finally taking a good look at Ulquiorra. His eyes widened at the lack of the uniform and the physical changes. "Looks like we're late for the party. Look at that, Grimmjow!"

Grimmjow followed his gaze and smirked. "What the fuck happened to you? Where is Aizen?"

"Aizen is not in Hueco Mundo anymore. Nobody knows where he is."

"Then why did you bring us back?"

"Do you enjoy being useless?" Ulquiorra asked, meeting Grimmjow's angry look, "In any case, you were needed to reestablish control over Hueco Mundo."

"I ain't your damn lackey, Ulquiorra."

Before anyone could respond, they heard Orihime's little voice.

"Um…Ulquiorra…"

"Look who is here! You brought your little pet along. This will be interesting." Nnoitra's mouth widened in a smile.

"What's she doing here if Aizen is gone?" Grimmjow asked.

"Soul Society is after her. She is staying in Hueco Mundo for the time being."

Grimmjow laughed "I can't believe this shit. They came to save her and now they are after her?"

"They will eventually find out where she is. We need to bring the rest of the Espada back to prevent Soul Society from invading Hueco Mundo." Ulquiorra said.

"Why should I care about what happens to her?"

"You don't need to care about me…" Orihime laughed nervously, "Looks like the three of you have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you alone." With those words she rushed out of the laboratory.

After she left, Ulquiorra spoke again. "In the very least, you will get a chance to fight Kurosaki."

"That bastard is still alive?"

"He is alive and he is stronger than when you first fought him."

"That damn asshole…"

The three remained silent for a few seconds studying each other.

"What's up with your face?" Nnoitra finally spoke, pointing a finger at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra hesitated for a moment gathering his thoughts. "Something happened to me after Kurosaki nearly killed me. I don't know what it was. After I regenerated, I came back different." He looked down at Grimmjow's hollow hole. "But seems like you haven't changed."

"What do you mean by that?" Grimmjow raised his voice in irritation.

"I do not have a hollow hole anymore."

"I always knew you were a freak." Grimmjow gave a roar of laughter. Nnoitra continued smiling. And Ulquiorra remained unmoved.

Ulquiorra's none-reaction to Grimmjow's taunting annoyed him. He always knew that Ulquiorra looked down on him, and it made him even angrier.

"So, now that you are different, do you think you are in charge of this place?"

"Ridiculous. You are in no position to be challenging anyone."

"Let's see how much you've really changed." Grimmjow sneered.

He raised his arm and charged towards Ulquiorra.

With one swift move Ulquiorra sent him flying through furniture and lab equipment. Cursing and panting Grimmjow finally got up from under the debris, glaring at him. Nnoitra continued to silently grinning at the spectacle.

"You little shit… When did you get so strong?"

"Starting pointless fights is a waste of time." Ulquiorra answered with perfect indifference.

He was about to leave but he hesitated before turning to the door. "And one more thing, stay away from Inoue Orihime."

* * *

The next few days were hectic. Ulquiorra found Szayel's body in the debris around the laboratory and had Orihime revive him. Even though Szayel was one of the weaker Espada, Ulquiorra found his cunning and scientific knowledge to be useful. Szayel's reaction was a bit friendlier than of the other two before him, yet he was still the same mad scientist as always who spent most of his days in the lab completely indifferent to anything else.

Then, there was Luppi. Although he was not an Espada anymore, his power level matched Grimmjow's and Ulquiorra thought of him as an appropriate substitute for the lower level Espada like Aaroniero and Zommari.

Yammy was the last of those who were previously lost in Hueco Mundo. Orihime expected Ulquiorra and him to have some sort of a reunion, given they were partners before, but they barely acknowledged each other.

All of the restored Arrancar were apprehensive about following Ulquiorra, especially Grimmjow who still saw him as a rival. But Ulquiorra did not seem to care, and neither did he claim to be in charge. The only thing he expected was for them to unite in their common goal against Soul Society and to keep away from Orihime.

There were two more Arrancar left, who did not die in Hueco Mundo, Starrk and Harribel. Bringing them back proved to be harder than Orihime thought. Even though Hachi told her that she could restore anything from scratch, she still couldn't bring the last two Espada across the dimensions, which meant that she had to travel to the human world.

Orihime was pacing in her room. She was not ready to go back yet. Even though she had the bracelet with her, she was still nervous about it. What if Soul Society could sense through it? What if they set traps? What if they sent spies? Getting caught by them absolutely terrified her.

"What are you so nervous about?" she heard Ulquiorra coming into the room.

"Is there no other way? What if I try again?"

"You already tried three times. It did not work."

"But…"

"You will wear your bracelet, and there will be three others with you."

"Grimmjow doesn't care about whether I live or die. And neither does Nnoitra."

"They care about a good fight. And if protecting you to revive the last two Espada means that, they will do their job." he paused studying her face. "And I will be there too."

Orihime brought her arms around herself and turned away from him. "What if my friends sense my riatsu?"

Ulquiorra did not answer right away, but she heard him coming up behind her. "What do you want me to do about them?" He asked her quietly.

Orihime spun around coming face-to-face with him. "I want you to avoid fighting them. I don't ever want to witness what happened on the dome again."

"They are still important to you."

"They are my friends. I will always care about what happens to them."

Ulquiorra looked at her for a long moment. His gaze started to roam around her face. Then he raised his hand and took a lock of her hair twisting it between his fingers.

"Why does it hurt?" There was a strange tone in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked uncertainly.

"My chest. I do not feel any physical pain, but the strange sensation does not go away."

Orihime wasn't sure what he was talking about. Could it be that he was worried about something? Someone?

"If there is someone you care about, you are afraid of losing them. And you are worried when they are in pain." She lowered her gaze, blushing a little.

"Is that how you humans are?"

"Yes. When I see my friends getting hurt, my heart throbs."

"This heart brings you nothing but trouble."

"That's not true!" Orihime protested. "It also brings us happiness and joy. We don't always have to fight. There are lots of good moments in life when you spend time with your loved ones. You just have to find someone who is important to you and keep them."

"How do I keep them?"

"Make sure they are happy and they want to be with you."

"I see."

Ulquiorra released her hair. Orihime felt his eyes burning into her.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

She was puzzled by his question. Why did he want to know? More importantly, she really did not know the answer herself. She wasn't unhappy, she was safe, and she was somewhat free. Yet, she still missed the human world and the company of her friends.

"There are some things I wish were different. But I can't do anything about them. I am content here. I….like being in your company." Orihime felt her cheeks burning again "And I hope some things will change later."

"Are you going to leave after this is over?"

Orihime finally raised her eyes meeting his gaze. "Is there a reason why I should stay?"

Then she saw him bringing his hand up to his chest.

Ulquiorra did not even notice he did that. But her question brought back the strange sensation. He still wasn't sure how to handle it, but one thing became certain. More than anything, he wanted Orihime to stay.

* * *

Rukia woke up with a start. What was that familiar riatsu that she felt? Could it be…? She got out of bed and ran into Ichigo's room.

"Ichigo! Did you feel it too?"

He was already up and preparing to transform.

"I did. And there is more than one!"

Across town Urahara was smirking.

_Looks like she finally showed up and she brought friends. The show is about to begin._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5  
**

Four figures stepped out of the portal into the peaceful night of Karakura town.

"Let's get this shit over with."

"What's your hurry? Let's enjoy this."

"I'll _enjoy_ this once Kurosaki shows up."

"What the fuck? So he can kick your ass again?"

"You bastard!"

Orihime ignored Grimmjow's and Nnoitra's verbal outbursts and went back to the last thing Ulquiorra told her right before they set off to the human world. He said that finding traces of Harribel's and Starrk's riatsu and using her Shun Shun Rikka was the best way to revive them. The fact that their spiritual powers were outside of Hueco Mundo was probably the reason why Orihime's past attempts failed.

"Concentrate." she heard Ulquiorra say.

Orihime closed her eyes trying to mentally find the riatsu. She finally saw a dim glow in the distance and extended her arms outward.

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject." she chanted pouring all of her concentration into the faint surge of power. It was very weak, but Orihime was still able to intercept it. She had to hurry before her friends got here. Even though the bracelets did their job, she was sure that her powers will not go unnoticed.

More than anything Orihime wanted to avoid a confrontation. It wasn't because Grimmjow and Nnoitra were itching for a fight, but because she was afraid to be seen as a traitor again. Soul Society already branded her as one but Orihime was indifferent to it. Her friends, though, were another matter. She wanted them to understand that she had no choice, but the anxiety of them failing to see it still lingered in her mind.

Gradually, Orihime felt the spiritual power being sucked into her shield and the traces of two bodies started to appear inside of it. She concentrated even harder. Ichigo and the rest probably already noticed her riatsu and were heading their way. Just a little bit longer and it will be over soon.

After a while, the bodies were finally restored, and Orihime lowered her shield.

"Pick them up and let's go." Ulquiorra ordered looking at Grimmjow and Nnoitra.

Grimmjow was about to yell in protest of being bossed around, but Nnoitra interrupted him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he grinned looking at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra knew very well what he was talking about. Two very familiar spiritual powers were coming their way, but he remembered his promise to Orihime. He absolutely had no intention of fighting anyone tonight.

"We did not come here to fight. Our goal is complete. Let's go." He responded.

"The hell we didn't!" Grimmjow yelled in protest.

Ulquiorra glanced at him, not betraying a single emotion. "I am not going to repeat myself."

And then Grimmjow felt a surge of power blasting through his body, the intensity was overwhelming. Ulquiorra didn't just order him around; he was more powerful than ever. And that pissed Grimmjow off to no end.

Muttering profanities, he finally yielded and picked up Starrk. Nnoitra, not wanting to suffer the same fate as Grimmjow, followed suit and grabbed Harribel. Without another word, Ulquiorra opened the Garganta waiting for them to step in. But before they did, they felt familiar presence behind them.

Orihime reluctantly turned around seeing Ichigo and Rukia gaping at them.

Nnoitra cast a glance at Ichigo, his grin widening even more, and without another word disappeared into the portal. Grimmjow looked angrily at Ulquiorra, but seeing the look of indifference on his face, begrudgingly followed Nnoitra.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime, "Are you ready for this?"

Orihime did not hide the fact that she was scared, but she had to face her friends somehow.

"I am." She replied.

Ulquiorra closed the Garganta and turned to their visitors.

"Inoue, what is going on? Where have you been?" Ichigo finally asked, his gaze switching to Ulquiorra. "And _you_ are alive!"

"Irrelevant. And she is not any of your concern." Ulquiorra said before Orihime could respond.

"The hell she isn't!" Ichigo yelled back, "Was that Grimmjow and Nnoitra? What is going on here?"

"Please! We didn't come here to fight." Orihime interfered.

"Get away from her _now_!" Ichigo ignored her, looking at Ulquiorra.

"That girl is one of us." Ulquiorra replied calmly, "Even if you manage to take her away, it will not change."

"That's not for you to decide!"

Ulquiorra moved his gaze to Orihime, "Tell them."

She hesitated only for a second gathering her resolve. "I am going with Ulquiorra."

"What?!" Ichigo yelled.

"You manipulated her!" Rukia exclaimed drawing her sword.

"No! He did not!" Orihime protested, "I went with him willingly!"

"Inoue…" Rukia half whispered shaking her head in denial, "But why? Why didn't you come to us?"

"Because…"

But before she could explain, Ichigo interrupted her.

"I've had enough of this! I don't know what you did to Inoue, but she is coming with us." He said unsheathing his sword and launching at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra raised his arm, effortlessly blocking the blow.

"This fight is futile." he said tonelessly "You cannot defeat me, even if you turn into a hollow again."

"Outta my way!"

"The girl has made her wishes known. Give up."

"Shut up! Get outta my way!"

"If you want to go anywhere else, you'll have to get through me first."

But before Ichigo could retort, he felt a surge going into his direction. Ulquiorra did not miss a thing. Both of them jumped back letting a bolt of riatsu pass between them.

"Whoa! I made it just in time!"

Ichigo swung his head around "Urahara!"

"It's you." Ulquiorra said looking at the one who helped him before.

"Hm…there are some pretty strange folks out tonight." Urahara said smirking. "How are you, Inoue-san?"

Orihime smiled faintly but her heart was racing. She had to drag Ulquiorra out of here before his and Ichigo's last encounter repeated itself. She still cared about Ichigo, and she did not want him to lose himself again. But her feelings for Ulquiorra were something different. He was certainly not a lover, but he was more than a friend, and she was confused more than ever. But Orihime knew one thing for sure, seeing him disappear again will be unbearable.

While Ichigo was busy saying something to Urahara, she came up to Ulquiorra and took his hand.

"Let's go before they notice." she said quietly.

Ulquiorra did not look at her but she felt him squeezing her hand. Without another word, he opened the Garganta, but before they could make another step Urahara interrupted them.

"A moment of your time, Schiffer-san."

Ulquiorra stopped without turning around.

"There are some things we need to discuss."

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime whispered, pulling him by the hand into the Garganta.

"Ulquiorra, wait!" Ichigo yelled after him.

Ulquiorra tilted his head slightly. "Give up, Shinigami. This does not concern you anymore. The Sun has already set in my hand."

Then, he and Orihime disappeared into the portal.

Urahara sighed. "This will be harder than I thought."

"What the hell is going on here?" Ichigo demanded.

"Urahara, do you know something?" Rukia frowned at him.

"Come to my shop, you two."

* * *

"He WHAT?!?" Rukia bolted to her feet in surprise.

"Kuchiki-san, it's really a lot less complicated than you think."

"But why did you keep this from us? We had the right to know!" Rukia yelled at him angrily.

Urahara shook his head in mild frustration. "It had nothing to do with you, but with Inoue-san's safety."

"How did it make it safer for her by not telling us?" Ichigo asked in irritation.

"You both would've come to me and demanded a passage to Hueco Mundo. Do not deny it."

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged glances.

"But how do we know we can trust him?"

"He rescued your friend and he keeps her safe."

"Why would he do that?" Ichigo insisted.

"If he isn't working for Aizen…" Rukia said thoughtfully.

"I don't think that he is." Urahara said.

"How do you know?"

"I think something happened to him in Hueco Mundo after the fight with Kurosaki-san."

* * *

They walked in silence through the corridors each lost in their own thoughts. It finally came to this. Her friends found out. What will happen next? Will they rush to Hueco Mundo to her "rescue"? Would they be able to actually realize that it's the last thing they needed to do? Once Soul Society found out about the Shinigami crossing over to this realm, it will be all over.

Orihime did not want to be left alone with her thoughts. Being by herself brought all kinds of ideas which made her even more depressed. She decided to follow Ulquiorra to see what was happening with Stark and Harribel.

They entered a large room. Grimmjow and Nnoitra were lounging lazily on the sofas and arguing about something. Harribel stood alone in the corner, with her arms crossed on her chest, and Starrk sat on a chair next to Grimmjow watching them fight.

As Orihime and Ulquiorra entered the room, the fighting stopped and all eyes turned to them.

"What the fuck took you so long?" Grimmjow grumbled.

"There were complications." Ulquiorra answered calmly.

"You hogged all of the fighting, didn't you? Greedy bastard."

"Wasting time on fighting was not part of the mission. And it was hardly worth it."

"That's weak! If it was me, I would've kicked Kurosaki's ass in one strike."

"Grimmjow, you _do_ understand that our problem is not with that kid, right?"

"What?"

"Soul Society can attack at any minute. Wasting time on pointless fighting is weakening our defenses and diverts out attention from the bigger issue."

"What if he allies himself with Soul Society and his power grows bigger? What will you do?"

Hearing the question, Orihime turned her head and looked at Ulquiorra.

"If that happens, I will take care of him." Ulquiorra replied seeing Grimmjow grimacing in irritation. "I see you have no complaints about that."

Then he looked at Starrk, "Looks like you recovered your strength back without complications."

"Such a pain," Starrk gazed at hims wearily, "And I thought fighting would be over by now."

"It won't be over any time soon. That's why we need yours and Harribel's skills."

"I was afraid of that."

Harribel remained silent. Starrk stared into space. He never liked fighting, and now that he thought his fate was finally decided in the battle of Karakura Town, he was brought back to do the same thing over again. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Aizen used and disposed of him before. What were the chances that Ulquiorra will not? But Ulquiorra was not Aizen, and that was his only hope. Starrk sighed. Things will get hectic again. _Such a pain._

"Let's go." Ulquiorra finally broke the silence turning to Orihime.

Without another word, she followed after him.

* * *

"What did you mean when you said you will _take care of him_?" Orihime asked as soon as Ulquiorra closed the door to her room.

He put his hands in his pockets. "What would you have me say? Grimmjow needed to be put in his place."

Orihime cast her gaze down. "What do we do now?"

Ulquiorra knew what she meant. Her friends finding out could pose a serious problem if they decided to come to Hueco Mundo. However, Urahara was no fool. He might stall them for a while, or persuade them otherwise.

"We move forward with the plan. I am returning to the human world tomorrow."

Orihime shot her gaze up, "Why?!"

"Unfinished business."

"What are you planning to do?!"

"I need to meet with Urahara."

"What if Ichigo shows up?"

Ulquiorra studied her for a moment feeling the same ugly sensation as he did when he saw her running to Kurosaki's broken body back at the dome.

"So what if he shows up? I made you a promise that I intend to keep."

"What if he wants to fight you again?"

"Your safety should be your first priority, yet you still seem to harbor some illusions about the boy." Ulquiorra turned around and headed for the door. "I was mistaken about you."

"I do not!" he heard her say.

Ulquiorra stopped turning half way and looked at her questioningly.

"I did some time ago, but not anymore. I just don't want the dome to repeat itself."

Ulquiorra did not respond.

"Loving him made me nothing but miserable," Orihime said brokenly, "He would've never wanted anything to do with me, even after I swore to love him for five lifetimes."

"Why only five lifetimes? Why not longer?"

Orihime sighed wistfully, "I don't know. Would you be able to commit to loving someone forever?"

Ulquiorra did not respond right away. These skyrocketing emotions were still hard to deal with. Being near this woman made him feel both depressed and elated at the same time. He wanted to possess her, to keep her near him forever. But he couldn't force her, not again. The choice was hers, and the thought of her wanting to leave made his chest contract. Forever was a long time, but he did not care, not when it was her. Humans talked about love and friendship all the time like it was something they could hold in the palm of their hands. This heart….back then he couldn't comprehend when she told him about her friends coming to rescue her. But right now, it was all very clear to him. Love was not something he could hold in his fist or put in a cage. Love was free to give. Her love was her own. No matter how much he could try to persuade her to stay with him, how much he could threaten to hurt her friends, she would never love him unless he let her go.

Ulquiorra stared at the wisp of a girl in front of him, the strange creature who wore her heart on her sleeve and turned his world upside down. She was everything, all his hopes and desires encompassed into one single person. If she could only imagine the power she possessed.

He took a few steps coming to stand in front of her. Orihime looked up at him a little dazed. His actions were strange lately. But what he said next took her by surprise.

"I already have."

And he lost to her again.

* * *

Urahara sat in his living room quietly sipping tea. Explaining things to Ichigo and Rukia was not easy. Ichigo was one stubborn kid. Thank god that Rukia was a bit more level headed. After a long talk, they finally seemed to understand that Ulquiorra was different, and hopefully gave up on the idea that Orihime needed saving.

"Thank you for coming." Urahara suddenly said looking into space.

"The barrier is strong." a voice responded.

"I am always prepared."

A figure came out of the shadows.

"You had something to discuss with me." Ulquiorra said to him.

"Indeed. This is about Inoue-san. You and I both know that she can't hide in Hueco Mundo forever. Soul Society will eventually find her."

"There is no other way. "

"Even if you revived all of the Espada, they haven't undergone any significant changes like you have. You do not stand a chance against the whole of Soul Society."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Give up Inoue. If she turns herself in voluntarily, there is a good chance for a retrial without execution."

"Impossible. There is also a chance they will kill her. There has to be another way."

Urahara hesitated for a moment. "There _is_ another way but it is a lot more extreme."

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked.

"A trade. Her release for someone else's freedom, and possibly life."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_A trade. Her release for someone else's freedom, and possibly life._

Urahara's words continued to ring in his mind. Ulquiorra knew that clearing Orihime's name will not be easy. But this was downright impossible. Several months ago, giving up his life held no meaning. Life had no meaning. It was a never-ending void filled with nothingness. But now it was a different matter. Ulquiorra wanted to live. Life had a purpose. He wanted to be with _her_. Yet, her life was still more precious than his. If he lost her, what was there left for him?

Ulquiorra heard a knock on the door. The visitor did not need to announce themselves. He could sense Orihime's riatsu from the opposite end of Las Noches.

"Enter."

Orihime quietly closed the door behind her and turned to him. Ulquiorra sat on a chair, legs apart, resting his elbows on his knees. He knew that she was there, yet he did not look up at her. Something was wrong.

"How did the meeting with Urahara go?" she asked.

"I was mistaken after all." his voice was barely audible.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Ulquiorra! What's wrong? What did Urahara tell you?"

He slowly raised his head to meet her eyes.

"We are running out of time. Soul Society is looking for you. If we don't make our move now, it will all be over."

Orihime was confused. He told her that she would be safe here for a while. Why the sudden change of plans?

"But I thought that we had more time…"

"I don't know how much time we have. It's not important anymore. If we don't act now, you will die."

"What should we do?"

"I'll make a deal with them."

_A deal?_ "What kind of deal?" Orihime asked cautiously.

"If I turn myself in to Soul Society, they will let you go."

"What?! No! Absolutely not! We are supposed to stick together! What was the point of bringing back the rest of the Espada then?"

"I overestimated their abilities. I expected them to go through the same changes as I have. They did not. Soul Society will easily defeat them."

Orihime shook her head in denial. "This is wrong. This is all wrong!" she ran up kneeling in front of him. "There has to be another way!"

"Even if you go back there voluntarily, there is still a possibility they will go along with the execution. I will not take that chance." he responded.

"So you will just give your life away?! What kind of choice is that? Do you know what they will do to you?!"

Orihime felt a lump in the back of her throat. This could not be happening. How could he sacrifice himself on her account like that?

"I've made my decision. After this is over, you will go back to your world. You will forget about everything that has happened and have a normal life. Staying here was not a solution." Ulquiorra said, looking at her.

"This is not for you to decide!" Orihime grabbed his arms rising on her knees. "_I_ decide where I want to live, what I want to do, and _whom_ I want to be with! You can't just assume that I will forget everything and throw your life away for the first person you meet!"

"Woman, do you think so little of me to assume I don't value my life? If none of this mattered you wouldn't have been here. And I wouldn't have made that choice."

Their faces were dangerously close as they stared at each other. He gave her the same look as he did back then, when she confronted him about leaving her alone in the desert. There was that strange glow in his eyes again that made her hold her breath. Despite his regular demeanor, he almost looked liked he cared and Orihime felt her heart beat quickening.

When Ulquiorra told her that he will give himself to Soul Society, she felt something sink inside. How could he make a decision like that so easily? He didn't think about her feelings at all. Her feelings… Her feelings were always a mess, even back then when she used to love Ichigo. Nothing ever went the way she wanted, and nothing ever felt right. But right now it felt different, completely different. She felt like she belonged.

Orihime took his face into her hands and gently pressed her lips against his.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

She smiled a little, "Kissing you."

"I see."

Ulquiorra kissed her back pulling her close. Orihime brought her arms around his neck clinging to his warmth. She will not let him go. She will not let him die. He protected her once and now it was time for her to protect him. She will not allow another sacrifice to be done for her sake. She will not lose another person that she loved.

Hot tears threatened to come out. Her chest was pounding, her heart was overflowing, and her mind was set. This was probably the last time she will ever see him, but there was no turning back.

Orihime did not notice him lifting her up and carrying her to the bed. Time has stopped for both of them. Ulquiorra laid her down and buried his face in her neck. Orihime had tears running down her face, but she couldn't let him know what was going on inside. This love was worth fighting for. _He_ was worth fighting for. She put her arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.

_Goodbye, Ulquiorra…_

* * *

Orihime opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She was in his room, in his bed, but he was already gone. It was probably for the best. She wanted to avoid Ulquiorra as much as possible so he wouldn't suspect anything. The events of last night still burned in her mind. Any knowledge that she had about this could not even compare to what he made her feel. His love consumed and made her whole again. His love took her to oblivion and brought her back to heaven. She was completely lost in him. And now only the memory remained, and she had to leave him right after she found him. Every touch, every kiss made her heart shatter to a million pieces all over again. And now Orihime felt exhausted and broken inside. But most importantly, she hated herself for lying to him. Ulquiorra said he had more matters to discuss with Urahara, and expected her to be here when he returned. She had to hurry. If he found out what she was planning to do, there was no chance for her to escape.

Orihime quickly got dressed and left the room, she had to be careful not to attract too much attention. Having someone like Grimmjow, or worse, Noitra going after her was the last thing she needed. As soon as she rounded the corner, Orihime started running. Szayel's laboratory was close. As far as she knew, Ulquiorra was the only one who could freely open the Garganta, but she heard Szayel could do wonders. The only thing she was afraid of was that he would be difficult to deal with.

She finally reached the laboratory, opened the door and peaked inside. Szayel was leaning over something she could not identify. She took another quick look behind her, entered the lab and locked the door.

"What a surprising turn of events. You were the last person I expected to come here." Szayel said without turning around.

"I need your help."

"Oh? How so?"

"Can you open a Garganta to Karakura town?"

Szayel finally turned around smiling, "Perhaps, what is in it for me?"

Orihime sighed. She knew this would happen. "What would you like in return?"

"Hm, interesting. You have that intriguing power of yours. I want to study it."

"Please, I really need to leave quickly."

"Oh ho ho! The plot thickens! What is your hurry?"

"It's really not important. Can you _please_ do it?"

"So, you want me to perform this complicated task without even telling me why? Or giving me anything in return? Do try harder." he said in a silky smooth voice.

Orihime closed her eyes. She really had no time for his games. But then again, if she didn't give him something he would be happy with, he wouldn't lift a finger. "Is there a way for you to study me before Ulquiorra gets back?"

"How delightful! You _are_ planning to escape and Cuatro does not even know it. "

"I am not escaping because I am not a prisoner here."

"No matter, this sudden turn of events has inspired me and I want to see what happens next. Give me a sample of your blood and we have a deal."

Even though his proposal made her nervous, this seemed to be the quickest way out.

"Alright." Orihime said wearily and extended her arm to him.

The smirk never left Szayel's face as he shoved a needle into Orihime's arm and drew a not-so-modest sample. Orihime bit her lip in pain as he yanked the needle out. Szayel really did not care about his "test subjects". Dizziness overcame him and she grabbed a table for support. She _really_ had to get out of here soon.

"Szayel, how long will it take?"

"Approximately forty minutes."

"That long?!"

"Patience, patience, this is a complex matter. If you want it to be done faster, I suggest you do not pester me."

Orihime sunk into a chair watching Szayel work. At this point, there was nothing else she could do except wait. If Ulquiorra came back before Szayel was done, she was afraid to think of what would happen. More than anything she did not want Ulquiorra to believe that she betrayed him. Her friends might've lost faith in her, Soul Society might've thought of her as a traitor, but as long as he trusted her, she had something to cling to.

Half an hour later Orihime was presented with a strange device in front of her.

"It is finished." Szayel said.

"Is it safe? Will it take me to Karakura Town?" Orihime asked anxiously.

"Oh, it will take you to Karakura Town, but I cannot guarantee it will be safe. You might run into a few…complications."

"What kind of _complications_?"

"Oh, you know, a few hungry hollows while you are crossing dimensions."

It was just like she expected.

"Are you ready?" Szayel asked again.

"Yes."

_That's ok, my power has gotten stronger. Surely, now I can handle a few hollows by myself!_

"You have fifteen minutes to get to the other side. Follow the particle trail. And, by the way, wear this." He got something out of his pocket. It looked like the bracelet that Ulquiorra gave her before.

"What is this?" she looked at the object in his hand.

"I modified this, it will conceal your riatsu not only from Soul Society, but from Hueco Mundo as well."

Orihime looked up at him questioningly.

"If you don't want Cuatro to sense you as soon as you cross over, you should wear it." he said opening the portal.

"Thank you for helping me."

"Dear me, I didn't do it to help _you_. Consider it an experiment."

Orihime nodded. Szayel was everything that the other Espada said about him, a mad scientist. But she was still thankful that he did this, regardless of his motives. This was a challenge she was prepared to face and she could not fail. She took a deep breath and stepped through the portal.

It was dark and cold inside. Orihime could not see a thing. Suddenly, a dim glow appeared on the ground turning into a trail. She started running into the direction of the particles. Everything was quiet, like in a vacuum. It was unnerving. Orihime gave herself a mental kick. She only had fifteen minutes, there was no time to wonder about other things. Hopefully, the hollows won't come. Hopefully, her powers will not let her down. He pace increased as she pushed herself to go faster. And then she heard howling.

Orihime turned her head seeing shapes materializing all around her. A few seconds later, they turned into hollows. Luck wasn't on her side after all. But she couldn't stop and fight. There were only ten minutes left. The hollows finally sensed a foreign presence and followed it.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Orihime said without slowing down.

Tsubaki appeared out of nowhere and blasted through the monsters leaving nothing but dust. Ulquiorra's influence definitely paid off.

"That wasn't half as bad as before!" the little fairy laughed at her.

Orihime smirked in response.

Another five minutes passed. Orihime started to see brightness in the distances, her final destination. But her strength started to give out. Running full speed without stopping proved to be harder than she thought.

_You are almost there! Do not stop!_

Orihime ignored the hollows behind her. Saving the last of her strength was more important. The bright light was getting closer, the hollows were getting louder.

"Woman, if you don't get rid of them, they will follow you into the other realm!" Tsubaki yelled at her.

"Koten Zanshun!" Orihime stopped and turned around "I reject!" The hollows were dust once again, and then she jumped through the light.

* * *

It was bright daylight, people were everywhere. But they could not see her. Orihime recognized a distant feeling of déjà vu remembering something similar all those months ago. It wasn't the first time she was invisible to the world.

Her thoughts trailed to Ulquiorra as she started to wonder if he returned to Hueco Mundo by now. How would he feel once he found out that she wasn't there? Will he realize that she went back to Karakura Town? Before he took off to look for her, she had to cross over to Soul Society.

Orihime stopped finding herself in front of the familiar shop. Urahara was sitting alone outside, which meant that Ulquiorra was already gone. She took a few steps to stand in front of him and took off her bracelet. Urahara stared at her in surprise.

"Inoue-san, how did you manage to return by yourself?" He asked in disbelief.

"I had some help." Orihime answered reluctantly.

"Does Ulquiorra know?"

She shook her head.

"You do not agree with his plan, I take it?"

"No, I do not want him to die. This is my burden to bear."

Urahara looked at her for a moment before speaking again. "How are you planning to solve this?"

"I will return to Soul Society."

"Do you realize that they will arrest you again?"

"I am prepared to face the consequences."

"And you want me to open the portal for you."

"Urahara-san, please, I need to do this before Ulquiorra finds out."

"What about your friends?"

"My friends cannot help me. And I don't want to rely on anyone anymore. Whatever happens to me is my responsibility."

"Inoue-san, you do understand that Soul Society can execute you and nobody will be able to save you this time."

Orihime cast her gaze down. "I know that." she said quietly, "But I would rather it be me than…Ulquiorra."

Urahara raised his eyebrows in surprise but did not say anything.

"I cannot refuse your wishes since you are aware of the consequences, but be prepared for the worst."

"Thank you, Urahara-san. Will it take long to open the portal?"

"No, I already prepared everything for Schiffer. But, it seems like he won't need it anymore." Urahara said sadly. "Follow me."

Orihime trailed after him into the giant room below the shop. She's been here many times before training and traveling to Soul Society to save Rukia. And now she will not see any of her friends again. She didn't even have time to say good-bye.

"Are you ready?" she heard Urahara say.

"I am." Orihime responded stepping onto the platform before the gate.

A few seconds later, the portal was opened.

"Take care of yourself."

Orihime gave him a sad smile and disappeared.

Urahara stood there looking at the space where she was a moment ago.

_What a brave girl._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Before Ulquiorra stepped through the Garganta he felt something familiar in the distance, he turned his head and eyed the town around him. One moment it was there, the next it disappeared. For just a split second, he could've sworn he felt Orihime's riatsu not too far away.

_Impossible._

The woman couldn't have been in the human world because nobody but him could open the dimensional gate. Since he returned, all of these new things he's been feeling kept interfering with his senses. And his mind has been playing tricks on him again. Ulquiorra brushed the uncomfortable sensation away. This wasn't possible. Orihime was in Hueco Mundo, and in just a few moments he will see her again.

**

"What the hell did you do?" Nnoitra asked, grinning at Szayel.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Someone like you shouldn't concern yourself with it."

"Cocky bastard, aren't ya? Ever thought of what would happen if Ulquiorra found out?"

Szayel ran a hand through his hair before answering. He knew very well he will have to give an explanation to why he helped Inoue Orihime. The only question was why Ulquiorra would care. He never cared about anything, and this girl left voluntarily. So, why bother?

"What does it have to do with me? She left because she wanted to. I don't see a reason why Ulquiorra should worry about that."

"Sitting in this hole every day must've really fried your brain. The whole fucking palace noticed her always tagging behind him." Nnoitra's grin got wider. "And this morning, someone saw that chick coming out of his…"

He suddenly stopped, sensing another presence in the lab.

"Where is Inoue Orihime?" Ulquiorra's voice rang through the room.

Szayel and Nnoitra exchanged glances before turning to him. Neither of them spoke.

"What's the matter? I am asking you: _Where is Inoue Orihime?_" Ulquiorra said again, his face remained perfectly expressionless.

Szayel cleared his throat. "I don't know where she is."

"I cannot sense her presence anywhere, only a trace of her riatsu remains here."

Ulquiorra's stare unnerved him. Despite pretending to be calm, Szayel was more nervous than he was anticipating. He finally turned his gaze away.

"That woman was under _my_ care only. I did not give any instructions otherwise."

Nnoitra chuckled. "_Your_ care, eh? So, how far have you gotten in your _caring_ after her?"

Ulquiorra ignored him not taking his eyes off of Szayel. Szayel was hiding something and he will not let anyone leave here until he got to the bottom of this.

He finally took his hand out of his pocket. "I will not ask the question again." Green light started to illuminate the room.

"Wait!" Szayel yelled, "She came here this morning, asking me to open a Garganta to the human world."

"Ridiculous. I am the only one who can do it."

"I found a way to do." he said nervously, "And she insisted."

Ulquiorra felt something sink inside. _That woman… _He extinguished his cero and put his hand back into his pocket. "So, she left."

"She did."

For a split second Ulquiorra was speechless. He never expected her to actually defy him like that. She promised to wait here and he trusted her. He was the one who would make the sacrifice. Not her. _Never_ her. Damn everything that was clouding his senses. He couldn't read her anymore the way he used to.

"If something happens to her, I will hold _you_ responsible." He finally said leaving the room.

* * *

Orihime stepped through the portal and found herself in the middle of Seireitei. She didn't expect her journey to end so soon considering her past trials while coming here. She mentally thanked Urahara for sparing her this time and started walking. It was nighttime, everything was quiet, not a soul in sight. She took a few steps and heard distant chatter. There was a couple of unfamiliar Shinigami patrolling around. Orihime hid herself in the shadows.

_What am I doing? I didn't come here to hide._

The Shinigami passed and she exhaled in relief. Even though Orihime knew what she came here for, she was scared. Scared for herself, scared for Ulquiorra, scared for her friends. She did not want to die, but she couldn't risk Ulquiorra getting hurt either. The memory of that night made her smile and blush, then she felt a pang in her chest. He probably already found out what she's done. And he must've been furious. Ulquiorra rarely showed any emotion, but she saw it in his eyes. The eyes that could kill.

"Do not resist. If necessary, I have orders to bring you back by force."

Orihime spun around. "Kuchiki Byakuya!"

Byakuya raised his hand and Orihime felt an invisible force binding her arms behind her. Fifteen minutes later she was at the Captains' meeting hall in the First Division's Headquarters facing that intimidating old man again. He was frowning down at her as usual. Orihime felt her insides twist. But, she will not be scared. They couldn't do any worse to her than they already did.

"Finding you was troublesome. Then you suddenly came back. Explain yourself."

Orihime raised her eyes to his. "I've decided to take full responsibility for my actions."

Yamamoto studied her skeptically. The girl was obviously hiding something.

"Who rescued you?"

"I..I don't know. It was too bright for me to see. I only remember…."

"Silence! I will not hear any more of that. Do not make me repeat myself, girl."

"I don't know who rescued me."

"We know that it wasn't any of your friends. The riatsu was not Shinigami's. It belonged to a hollow."

Orihime remained silent.

"If you are allied with the Arrancar, there will be consequences. It is for your own good to tell us everything."

"Captain-General, we don't know for sure that it was an Arrancar…" Captain Ukitake interfered.

"It was no regular Menos. Its power level was higher than of an Adjuchas, matching a Vasto Lorde in strength."

Orihime gasped. _Vasto Lorde?_

"This girl does not know what kind of trouble she got herself into. If Aizen is building another army, we have to prepare ourselves."

"It's not true!" Orihime protested. "Nobody is plotting anything against you!"

"I will give you one day to think this over." Yamamoto said with absolute finality, "You better make up your mind by then. Now, take her away."

"Captain Yamamoto, please permit me to escort the girl to her cell." Ukitake spoke again.

Yamamoto nodded without saying anything.

Orihime saw two guards coming on both sides and leading her out of the Main Headquarters. As soon as they neared the prison gate, Orihime turned to Ukitake.

"Captain Ukitake, you have to believe…."

"An escort will not be necessary any longer." He smiled at the guards. "I am more than capable of taking care of one human prisoner."

The guards hesitated at first, but complied. As soon as they left, Ukitake turned to Orihime, his smile disappearing.

"Do you know what kind of trouble you got yourself into?" he demanded.

"But…I…"

"This is not a joking matter! Do you want to be executed again? Why don't you tell the truth?"

Orihime shook her head.

"Don't you understand?! You can die if you do not speak up!"

"I can't!" Orihime cried.

He stared at her in bewilderment. "You _can't_? Why not?"

"You don't understand! Nobody is plotting anything against Soul Society. We don't even know where Aizen is! And even if he is plotting something, Hueco Mundo has nothing to do with it!"

Ukitake raised a brow in skepticism. "How do you know all of that?"

"Because…" she stopped, shaking her head again.

Ukitake grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him. "This is serious! I only want what is best for you. You obviously know something that can help everybody!"

"It won't help _everybody_!" Orihime had tears running down her cheeks, "I can't…" she broke down in sobs, "If something happens to him…"

"_Him?_ I can assure you that Kurosaki-san…"

"This has nothing to do with him!"

Ukitake looked at her for a moment. The girl was practically hysterical. _What in the world happened to her?_

"Whoever you are trying to protect can cost you your life. Remember that. So, he better be worth it."

* * *

"I called you here because Inoue Orihime has returned to Soul Society." Urahara said looking at his guests.

A moment of silence passed between the friends before Ichigo finally spoke.

"How did she manage to get there?"

"She came to me and asked to open the gate."

"And you let her go?" Rukia asked.

"Yes."

"How could you?!" she yelled in disbelief.

"Inoue-san is not a child. She knew what she was getting herself into. And it seems like she was trying to protect someone."

"Who?" Ichigo asked.

"The same person who saved her before."

"Ulquiorra…." the group said in unison.

"I've had enough of that bastard." Ichigo said angrily, "First he pretends to save her, manipulates her, and then sends her to her death."

"Kurosaki-san, I don't think it's quite that way." Urahara protested.

"Then, how is it??!! After everything that he's done, there is no way Inoue can believe him just like that!"

"And here I thought you were all brawn and no brain. But apparently, you have some decent senses intact."

Ichigo froze at the voice. _What the hell is that bastard doing here?!_

Ulquiorra looked at Urahara.

But before he spoke, Urahara interrupted him. "She was here, if that is what you were going to ask. She is in Soul Society now."

Ulquiorra's expression changed only for a second. "Our deal still stands."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Ichigo yelled at him. "What _deal_?! If it wasn't for you, Inoue wouldn't have been in danger now!"

Urahara sighed. "This is enough. Schiffer-san wants to save her just as much as you do."

"Even if he did, how does he plan to go against Soul Society on his own?"

"Most of the Espada have been revived for the sole purpose of protecting Hueco Mundo from Soul Society." Ulquiorra answered, "Rescuing Inoue Orihime is no exception."

Despite his cool demeanor, Ulquiorra felt his insides boil. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation, as he felt something similar before when he was in _her_ company, but it still took some time getting used to. The woman always made him feel different when he was around her, but this was the last straw. Ulquiorra still wasn't sure what he planned to do with her when they met again. Worry, anger, love all mixed up in one single emotion and he felt himself getting restless.

Right before he left Hueco Mundo, he instructed Grimmjow to gather all of the Espada and meet him here. Despite Grimmjow's violent objections, curses, and usual defiance, he was finally convinced by Ulquiorra's quiet rage. Only a small outburst of riatsu was enough. And now, it was only a matter of time until Szayel opened another portal.

"Soul Society is very stubborn and traditional." Urahara noted. "Changing their minds will probably be the biggest challenge yet. They still view the hollows as enemies and them knowing that Inoue was with one of them makes it even more difficult."

Everybody eyed Ulquiorra wearily. The expression of indifference never left his face. Despite what Urahara said, he continued standing to the side, calmly listening to everything he had to say.

Urahara turned to Rukia. "If you go against them, they might label you as a traitor again. Are you prepared to defy your brother?"

Rukia looked down in silence. She wanted to save Orihime, but would her brother really understand? Despite all of the changes in their relationship, he was still loyal to Soul Society. But, that was a chance she had to take.

"Inoue is my friend." She finally said, "And I will not abandon her."

Urahara nodded. "I will open the gate whenever you are all ready."

Twenty minutes later they were standing in the space below the shop. The party from Hueco Mundo finally arrived. Ulquiorra paid little attention to the glares and harsh words exchanged between the Arrancar and the Shinigami. He did not expect much from Nnoitra, Grimmjow, and Yammy in regards to rescuing Orihime. Yammy was a big brute who liked to smash things, the other two were not far behind. But they were good fighters and he anticipated them to create enough ruckus to divert the attention of Soul Society. Fighting was in their blood, so that was their motivation. Luppi had a sadistic smile on his face, which Ulquiorra simply ignored. And Szayel was nowhere to be found. The only ones who remotely caught his attention were Harribel and Starrk. They were smarter and more level headed, and Ulquiorra anticipated for them to be more discrete. But the one he could really rely on was only himself. The Substitute Shinigami might've been her friend, but that friendship did not save her from execution before.

"It will take you directly to Seireitei. Be on your guard." Urahara said opening the portal.

Ulquiorra stepped through it and everyone else followed leaving Urahara behind.

* * *

Orihime sat by the window looking down. She was transferred to the tower. They wanted her to repent. Repent what? She did not regret anything. She looked at Soukyoku and wondered if she will ever have to walk that path again. But there was no turning back. Her only regret was that she didn't have more time with _him_.

Captain Ukitake visited before trying to reason with her. But Orihime's mind was set. She will not give them Ulquiorra.

The door opened and he came to see her again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I am fine."

Ukitake came up to her in silence and looked down at the ground.

"Kurosaki Ichigo has returned, along with Kuchiki Rukia and the rest of your friends."

Orihime looked at him sharply. But before she could say anything, he interrupted her.

"There is also a rumor that a group of Arrancar has invaded as well, and with a very powerful hollow in their midst."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

After they entered the inter-dimensional void, the group soon became separated. Ulquiorra disappeared somewhere, so did the rest of the Espada. Ichigo and the others were left alone to find their own path to the other side. Urahara wasn't kidding when he said that they would be transported straight to Seireitei. The particle trail soon became a solid road and quickly led to an opening. And in a few moments, the friends found themselves back in Soul Society.

"Let's go find Inoue!"

"Ichigo!" Rukia said, "Perhaps we should…"

"I've caught you just in time." a voice interrupted her.

All heads turned.

"Captain Ukitake!"

"Welcome back, Kuchiki." he said, "Inoue is in serious trouble. She still refuses to talk knowing the consequences. Do you have any idea why?"

"It's because of that guy..." Ichigo grumbled.

"What guy?"

"Ulquiorra."

"Can it be the same person she is trying to protect?"

"Captain Ukitake! We aren't sure what's going on ourselves." Rukia cut in "That Arrancar has been hiding Inoue in Hueco Mundo. And we don't know why."

"She seemed to be rather fond of him. It almost feels like…" Ukitake did not finish. For now it was just an assumption, he won't jump to conclusions just yet. If his suspicions were right, then things were a lot more complicated.

"All of you need to come with me." He finally said.

Everyone followed him and in a short while the friends were standing in the Captains' meeting hall again in front of Yamamoto.

"Captain Yamamoto, I would like to request a retrial for Inoue Orihime." Rukia pleaded.

"The girl is stubborn and refuses to help with our investigation. I gave her one day to make up her mind. If she doesn't comply, she will be dealt with as a traitor."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Ichigo yelled, "Traitor? How is she a traitor?"

"She was rescued by an Arrancar." Yamamoto replied calmly, "She refuses to talk, thus confirming our suspicions. There is no reason whatsoever for her not wanting to cooperate, she knows very well what kind of problems she has caused for herself. The only reason why she doesn't talk is if she is allied with them."

"That's crazy!"

"Ichigo, stop." Rukia whispered, then she turned to the Captain-Commander.

"Captain, will you prevent the execution if Inoue talks?"

"Her voluntary cooperation is necessary to redeem herself. But the girl is stubborn."

"What if we capture the Arrancar and give them to you?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia looked at him in surprise.

"Unless the girl complies, nothing that you do will work."

"If she does as you demand, what will you do with them?" Rukia asked.

"What we usually do with hollows."

Twenty minutes later the meeting was over. As soon as they were outside, Ichigo looked around trying to find a certain riatsu. As soon as he sensed it, he was about to head into its direction, but Rukia stopped him.

"Ichigo, where are you going?" she grabbed him by the sleeve.

"You've heard what the old man said. I need to find that guy and beat some sense into him."

"What are you saying? Are you planning on fighting him?"

"No, but he needs to know what is going on."

Rukia nodded releasing him. Perhaps Ulquiorra could help convincing Inoue, but still, certain sacrifices seemed to be inevitable.

* * *

He felt her riatsu as soon as he stepped into Seireitei. The rest of the Arrancar got separated somewhere while traveling between dimensions and Ulquiorra was alone. Orihime was up ahead in the tower and her spiritual power was faint but stable. Ulquiorra quickly sonidoed through the gap trying to avoid being seen by an accidental Shinigami. This woman made things difficult for him. Now he did not know what would happen anymore. If he rescued her, they would be running from Soul Society forever. At this point he had no idea how to get out of it without shedding blood.

"Are you going to Inoue?" someone asked from behind.

Ulquiorra recognized the voice immediately. _Kurosaki Ichigo._

"What if I am?" he responded without turning around.

"They told me that if she doesn't cooperate, they will execute her."

Ulquiorra knew it. He still felt annoyed because of her direct disregard for what he asked of her. After everything that he's done to keep her safe…

He drew out a long sigh, "I see." then turned around to face Ichigo. "Are you planning to fight me now?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't know what the hell is going on anymore. But one thing I gotta ask: why are you doing all of this?"

"For the same reason you took off to save Kuchiki Rukia when I told you that she was dead."

Ichigo stared at him. "Are you telling me that Inoue and you…"

"Irrelevant." Ulquiorra interrupted him. "Instead of asking questions, you should be trying to help your friend."

Ichigo frowned. _What's with this guy?_ "I _am_ trying to help Inoue, that's why I am telling you this."

"She is soon to be executed. If you don't have anything else to say to me, I will be on my way." He turned away preparing to leave.

"Ulquiorra, wait!"

But Ulquiorra was already gone, leaving a slightly stunned Ichigo behind.

_I can't freaken believe this…. _

* * *

Orihime was restless pacing around her cell. He was here. She could feel him and the others too. Ichigo and Rukia were also present along with the rest of her friends. That made her a little restless. Were they trying to save her all together or ….? Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone opening the door. Two guards came in.

"We have orders to transport you to another facility."

"Why?" Orihime asked cautiously.

"You are not to ask any questions."

Orihime frowned. Something wasn't right.

They led her out in silence. She heard commotion down bellow. People were running and shouting orders. Soul Society was in uproar once again. _This is probably because Ulquiorra came to rescue me._ _I was hoping it wouldn't happen so soon. He is so… _She could feel fighting in the distance. It wasn't him, but the riatsu was familiar. _Looks like Grimmjow is having fun._ Then her thoughts trailed back to the matters at hand. Orihime wondered where these Shinigami were taking her. Was Soul Society trying to hide her and buy themselves more time to capture the invaders? She smiled to herself. No matter where they put her, he will find her. He always finds her.

"There you are, and I was worried I would miss you."

"Captain Mayuri!"

Orihime hesitated before looking at him. It was that creepy captain again who wanted to perform tests on her back when she first came to Soul Society. What did he want now?

"Why the long face? There is no need to be cross, my dear. I only came to see you."

"Captain, we have orders to move Inoue Orihime to another location."

"I am aware of that. That's why I came to escort her. The girl is to be transported to the Headquarters of Research and Development."

Orihime gasped.

"Captain, our orders are…."

"Silence! I swear, you are such a bother arguing with your superior. Do you want the Captain-General to find out about your insolence?"

"No, sir!"

"Just as I thought. Leave the girl with me, she will be _extremely_ safe."

The guards glanced at each other then at Orihime. She looked back at them with pleading eyes hoping they would not leave her alone. This guy scared her even more than Nnoitra did and she _really_ did not want to be left alone with this freak. But there was nothing they could do. He was a captain and a powerful one too. And nobody liked to mess with him. They finally bowed and walked away.

Mayuri looked at them retreating with a smirk on his face, then he turned to Orihime.

"I will take very good care of you. Follow me, my dear." His voice was silky smooth that made Orihime's blood freeze. Something definitely wasn't right.

She swallowed hard. This was something she did not expect at all. Was this even a real order?

* * *

Ulquiorra stopped and turned his head. Grimmjow's riatsu suddenly skyrocketed, he was fighting somewhere. Nnoitra was too, but Starrk's was barely noticeable, others' remained unchanged. Some were more eager to get their hands dirty than others. But it didn't matter, as long as they kept the Shinigami occupied for the time being. He searched for Orihime's riatsu again. One moment it was right ahead of him, the next it completely disappeared. _What is the meaning of this?_

He finally neared the tower. Her riatsu was nowhere to be found. The door was open but no one was in sight.

"What are you doing here? Who are you, an Arrancar?"

Ulquiorra turned around coming face to face with a silver haired Shinigami captain.

"Where is Inoue Orihime?" he asked calmly.

The captain unsheathed his sword preparing for a fight. "I cannot allow you to go any further."

"Stand aside." Ulquiorra said again, feeling his patience evaporating.

Ukitake did not move. Ulquiorra watched in silence as he released his Shikai getting into an offensive stance. Fighting this Shinigami would divert him from getting to her. He did not have time for this. Without another word he went into his 2nd release and sonidoed behind the captain. Ukitake turned around and slashed his sword through the air barely missing Ulquiorra.

"Oh boy, you are fast."

"I will not repeat myself again, stand aside."

"I cannot do that."

"Suit yourself."

With one swift move he sent Ukitake flying through the air. The captain was only caught off guard momentarily, quickly regaining his stance.

"What a hustle, you really are set on rescuing the girl, aren't you?" he asked.

Ulquiorra did not respond. He had to move forward. Fighting the captain would take too much time. He had to get rid of him fast.

He slowly extended his arm towards Ukitake. "Cero Oscuras." He said quietly.

Ukitake looked at him in surprise. _What is this attack? Could it be..?_ There was no time to think, he had to get out of the way.

Ulquiorra blasted a black cero leaving a huge crater in the ground. But before it hit him, Ukitake used shunpo to avoid it. The radius was so huge that he had to move a good distance out of the way. When the smoke cleared, the captain was nowhere in sight. Ulquiorra felt a trace of his riatsu somewhere far. Now, it was his cue to disappear.

_So, he is using this attack to get away._ Ukitake frowned. He did not quite expect it. Knowing his previous encounters with hollows, none of them ever passed up a good fight. But this one was different. _Is he really this set on rescuing Inoue? Could it be the same guy she mentioned before?_

**

It's like the woman completely disappeared off the face of the earth. Ulquiorra could not find her at all and this bothered him to no end. They must've moved her somewhere to hide her riatsu and to prevent him from getting to her; there could be no other reason. Did they want him to give up and surrender, or were they planning on catching him instead? But it did not matter either way. The Shinigami were toying with him and if they wanted a war, he will give it to them.

_Where are you, woman?_

* * *

He let her through a long chain of corridors. Orihime was scared, very scared. She kept glancing at the strange captain walking next to her. The sadistic smile never left his face which made her even more anxious. She had a feeling that he didn't bring her here just to keep Ulquiorra away.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked reluctantly.

"Patience, my dear, we'll be there soon."

In a few minutes they finally reached something that resembled a laboratory. Orihime felt her heart sink and looked at Mayuri apprehensively.

"I am a prisoner. Why did you bring me here?"

"You are an interesting specimen and I never got an opportunity to experiment on you. Soul Society is going to execute you anyway. I couldn't pass up my last chance at this."

He made a motion with his hand. "Nemu, show our guest to her sit."

"Mayuri-sama, what if the Captain-General…"

"I am not interested in your opinion, dimwit. Do as I say."

Orihime felt very strong hands binding her arms behind her back and pushing her forward.

"You can't do this to me! Captain Yamamoto did not order this!"

"Stupid girl, do you really think that Yamamoto cares about how you will meet your end? You were doomed from the very beginning, and now you are mine. Bind her, Nemu."

"No! Let me go!" Orihime tried fighting, but the female Shinigami proved to be much stronger and soon she was strapped down without any chance of escape. Her heart was pounding. What was he planning to do with her? Kill her? Torture her? The lights were dim and she couldn't see what was going on. It smelled like acid and she couldn't breathe. Was she really going to die in this hell?

Nemu looked down at her for a moment. Orihime met her gaze. She could've sworn she saw something that resembled regret.

"What are you doing standing around? Hurry up and help me!" Mayuri sad impatiently.

Nemu turned around and walked away. Orihime tried to move her head to see what was going on, but they were completely out of her line of sight. She heard some strange noise, the sound of water, bottles clashing. And then she saw Mayuri standing over her.

"Don't touch me." she whispered.

"Still struggling? You should feel honored to take part in this. If this experiment is successful, the possibilities are endless. As a scientist, I cannot allow your power to go unused." He took something out of his pocket. "Now, hold still."

"No!"

Then Orihime felt something pinching her arm. A moment later she started feeling strange. Her body became numb, she couldn't feel her legs, her head was spinning. What did he put into her?

Mayuri studied her face. Orihime could barely keep her eyes open.

"Oh, splendid, you seem to be responding just as I predicted. Nemu, prepare another injection."

Orihime closed her eyes. She was going to die after all.

_Ulquiorra…_

* * *

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled running up to him. "Did you find Ulquiorra?"

"I did. But that ass took off before I could get anything out of him."

"So that means Inoue wasn't with him…" she said thoughtfully.

"Of course she wasn't!"

"Ichigo, something happened recently. Inoue was supposed to be transferred but she just disappeared. They never saw her at the new location."

"What…"

"Captain Ukitake said that an Arrancar was by the tower looking for her. But the place was empty so he wasn't the one who took her."

"Shit… now Inoue is missing. What the hell is going on…"

"I don't know. But the guards in question, who were supposed to transport her, said that Captain Mayuri ordered them to leave her with him."

"The freak from Research and Development?"

"Yes. Looks like it's the next place we need to investigate."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Orihime turned her head sideways and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she could still make out her surroundings. She was in her old room in Las Noches again. Why did she always find herself waking up here? No matter where she went, some invisible force always brought her back, a continuous cycle that forever bound her to this place. Dreams and reality started to blend together and she wasn't sure where she was anymore. There was a man standing with his back to her. _Ulquiorra?_ No, not him. Even though he was turned away from her, Orihime felt like she knew him – the familiar frame, the dark hair. As if sensing her looking at him he turned around and smiled at her. Orihime gasped putting her hand over her mouth in shock. Right there standing in front of her was Sora.

"Big brother…" she whispered.

He took a few steady steps and kneeled in front of her. "Welcome back, little princess, you've been asleep for a long time."

Orihime stared at him in disbelief. "How is this possible?"

Sora tilted his head and continued smiling. She studied his face not knowing what to say. What happened to her? She wasn't supposed to be here. The memory of the pain and despair that she suffered under Mayuri's torture was still fresh. But now, she felt nothing. Did it finally happen to her? Was she really dead?

"Don't hurt that pretty head of yours thinking too hard." Sora chuckled.

"Sora nii-chan, what is happening to me? Where am I?"

"Where exactly do you want to be, Orihime?"

"I…" An image of Ulquiorra went through her mind. _Oh, no! He is looking for me! He is still looking for me! But I'm not there anymore. What will he do if he can't find me? What will happen to him?_

"It looks like I need to scoot over in there." Sora said pointing at her chest.

Orihime opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "Do not worry, little princess, as long as there is still a place for me, I will not be lonely."

He got up and took a few steps around the room. Orihime's eyes never left him. "Do you remember when your friends came to rescue you from me?" he continued.

She nodded.

"That Kurosaki boy was quite passionate about saving you." Sora turned around looking at her. "And it looks like someone else wants to save you now. But you did not wait for him."

Orihime looked down. Her brother seemed to know a lot. But how could she fight a captain Shinigami? Soul Society strangled her powers once again by diminishing the flow of her riatsu. Even though they did not attempt to take them again, like they did the first time, using Shun Shun Rikka against Mayuri was close to impossible. But now it was too late, wasn't it?

"What could I do nii-chan? They…"

Sora took her hand closing his palm on it. Orihime felt cool metal against her skin. She opened her hand and saw a pair of all too familiar hair pins that he gave her such a long time ago.

"I thought I would never see these again." She smiled.

"This is just a reminder. They are not real. But someone else is." he said pointedly.

Orihime squeezed her hand and brought it to her chest.

"This place…" she whispered.

"…holds a clue to where you belong." Sora answered for her.

"He is searching for me." her voice was close to a whisper. "But I let him down. He wanted to find me so much. Why couldn't I be stronger for him?"

"Are you giving up already?"

"Nii-chan, but what if I am not strong enough? What if I fail? What if this is not enough to protect him?" Orihime asked in a shaky voice clutching the precious hair pins to her chest.

Sora brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it gently. "Your love never failed _me_, little princess."

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel her brother disappearing. And the hairpins were no longer in her hands. But she did not need them anymore. She did not need anything to remind her of who she was and who was important. The memory of Sora and his warmth will stay with her forever. But there was also someone else whom she swore to protect. Neither Mayuri nor the rest of Soul Society will come close to her powers. If she couldn't fight them, she would put up enough defenses for no one to get through. The dream was slowly crumbling and reality was settling in. Orihime could feel the distant smell of acid coming back. She could hear the chatter and people hovering over her. But she was not longer afraid.

Her eyelids were heavy and she felt exhausted. The stabbing pain was back which made it hard to breath. But Orihime brushed it away. She will show them, she will show all of them what she was made of.

"What's this?" Mayuri asked. "Looks like the test subject finally regained her conciseness."

Orihime open her mouth slightly. _Santen Kesshun, I reject! Santen Kesshun, I reject! Santen Kesshun, I reject! Santen Kesshun, I reject! Santen Kesshun, I reject! Santen Kesshun, I reject!_ She did not need to say it out loud. Her Rikka could respond to her thoughts. And she suppressed the urge to unleash it. Just a little bit longer and it will be over.

Mayuri saw her lips move. "What? Even after heavy sedation you can still talk? How wonderful! What is it that you want?"

Orihime moved her lips again, but no words came out. Mayuri grimaced in annoyance and lowered his ear to her mouth.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject." She breathed out.

But before Mayuri could react, he saw a bright glow enveloping her.

Orihime did not pay attention to his enraged screams. Despite her weak state, her shield was strong just like her resolve. That is one thing she will not let go of. In a moment of weakness she almost let herself be crushed again, but now she knew better.

A faint smile lit her face. Even though she could barely move, her Rikka's power was growing. And despite this stabbing pain, she had to hold on until someone came for her, until _he_ came for her.

She exhaled painfully. _Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily... I am counting on your guys…do not let me down._

* * *

Ulquiorra stopped dead in his tracks. Just for a split second he felt Orihime's riatsu shooting up then disappearing again. He turned his head and searched where it was coming from. Finally his gaze stopped and he frowned. He finally found her but something wasn't right. Orihime's spiritual power was supposed to be suppressed in Soul Society, then why was it fluctuating so much? But right now it did not matter. She was finally within his grasp again and he had to get to her as soon as possible.

* * *

The place was a maze, a never ending labyrinth of narrow long corridors. After finding out that Orihime was taken by Mayuri, Ichigo and Rukia gathered up their friends and went to look for her. Rukia was uneasy by the fact that they acted on their own and without any consent from the authorities. But they had no time to wait for Yamamoto's approval. The mountain of bureaucracy was Soul Society's weakness as preserving the law over life always took precedence. Getting inside the Headquarters of Research and Development wasn't easy either. But intimidation does wonders once you know which buttons to push. When Mayuri's subordinates found out that they had an authorized prisoner inside, they stepped down and let them through. Even if their actions angered their superior, being on Yamamoto's good side was always a better deal.

"Ichigo! Can you feel it?"

"Yes! That's where the surge of Inoue's riatsu came from."

They continued running through the corridor until they came to a set of doors.

"She is on the other side and Mayuri is there too."

"Be careful everyone."

The group opened the door and stepped inside.

"You useless twit! Why is the shield still up?" Mayuri yelled.

"My apologies, Mayuri-sama, but the shield seems to be stronger than we've anticipated." Nemu replied casting her eyes down.

"Useless! Useless! Useless!"

Ichigo looked around the room stopping his eyes on the bright orange glow.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Mayuri threw his hands in the air. "How predictable, more uninvited guests came to the rescue. But it looks like my little test subject decided to put up a fight."

"What did you do to Inoue?"

"She did this to herself."

Ichigo drew his sword at Mayuri as they came up to Orihime. Rukia gasped. Ichigo frowned. Ishida looked away.

Orihime was paler than death. She lost a lot of weight. Her robe was torn. There were cuts and bruises all over her body.

"You are not going to get away with this, you bastard." Ichigo glared at Mayuri.

"Oh? Do I sense a challenge from the substitute Shinigami?"

"Captain Mayuri," Rukia said "nobody issued an order to bring Inoue here. This is an absolute violation of the law."

"You are denser than I though. The girl was going to be executed. I was doing everyone a favor by taking advantage of her powers before they went to waste."

But Rukia did not hear him anymore. She touched the shield leaning over the broken body of her friend.

"Inoue, wake up." She whispered.

A few seconds ticked before Orihime moved her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes staring back at Rukia. Relief washed over her as she looked at her friend's smiling face. _Finally! _Despite her resolve, she wasn't sure for how much longer she could hold.

"It's ok. We will get you out of here."

Orihime felt sick as Rukia carefully helped her to sit up after the shield disintegrated. Trying to control it and keeping her balance at the same time took a toll on her already weakened body. Her head was hurting and she felt like throwing up.

"Have you seen Ulquiorra?" she asked quietly.

"After we learned that you were brought here, Ichigo…" but Rukia did not finish.

Something very powerful was coming their way. Rukia turned her head towards the door in silent anticipation. It was him.

A moment later, Ulquiorra was standing in the doorway. His eyes widened as he stared directly at Orihime's tattered figure. He expected a lot of things, but not this. Despite the countless exploits of Soul Society against the hollows, he never expected them to stoop this low. They called hollows "animals", but after what they did to the one in front of him, what did it make them? Clutching his fist he felt rage boiling inside. How dare they do this to her?

Orihime slowly extended her arm to him. Despite his rage, his expression softened. The woman was alive and after everything that has happened she still managed a smile. He quickly changed back to his normal form before taking another step. Unleashing riatsu of his 2nd form around her being so weak would surely crush her.

Silently, he approached her, scooped her in his arms and started back towards the door.

"Where are you taking her?" Ichigo asked.

"Away from here." Ulquiorra answered without stopping and left the room.

A moment later he and Orihime were outside.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked looking down at her.

She nodded. The smell of acid was gone and so was her nausea, but her head was still pounding and her body was aching all over.

Ulquiorra tightened his grip on her before using sonido. He knew he loved her, but seeing her like this only proved how much. When he looked at her bruised face, it took an enormous amount of self control not slaughter that bastard Shinigami who did this to her.

In a few seconds they were in the woods outside of Seireitei.

"Why did you act on your own? Why didn't you tell me anything?" Ulquiorra asked without releasing her.

Orihime noticed the strange tone in his voice again. Despite his calm demeanor, he sounded angry and almost hurt.

"I did not want you to go to Soul Society."

"If that means you live, then I will do it without question. You are bound to me and I protect what is mine."

"So do I. Don't you know that I lo--?"

"Be quiet." Ulquiorra cut her off.

His stare was unnerving which made Orihime cringe. Just by looking in his eyes she knew that he was irritated. At first she thought it was because of what she did, but then she remembered his eyes back in the laboratory. Ulquiorra looked like he wanted to murder someone.

He finally looked away. Orihime studied his profile in silence. He hid his emotions very well, but she already knew how to read him. His rage at what Mayuri did to her made her heart flutter. Without saying another word she put her arms around him.

"I love you." she whispered in his ear.

Ulquiorra exhaled sharply. "I know." His words were barely a whisper as he hugged her closer.

Neither said another word. They kept the silence enjoying the little precious moments they had together. Ulquiorra knew he had to relinquish her again. But he did not plan to go quietly or to let that Shinigami captain get away with his crime.

"I am taking you back."

"What? Why?" Orihime asked in alarm.

"They'll find us soon enough. I have to return you before they do. And those injuries need to be taken care of."

"And what is going to happen to you?"

"I have a few things to settle with Soul Society."

"With more fighting?"

Ulquiorra ignored her last question. "Hold on to me."

And then they were back to Seireitei standing in front Ichigo and the rest of Orihime's friends next to a group of Shinigami.

Ulquiorra noticed that one of the captains was the silver haired Shinigami he fought before. But he ignored everyone and started walking towards Ichigo.

"Make sure she is being properly taken care of." He ordered setting Orihime down in front of him.

Ichigo nodded in surprise catching her by the waist. He did not understand why Ulquiorra came back. Wasn't he supposed to take Inoue and escape?

"Why didn't you go back to Hueco Mundo? Wasn't it your goal to save the girl from execution?" Ukitake asked.

"One of your superiors violated direct orders from the Commander and put her into mortal danger. Soul Society are obligated to start an investigation before they make any plans in regards to Inoue Orihime." Ulquiorra answered calmly. "Otherwise, you are no better than the hollows that you hunt."

Ukitake stared at him in shock. The Arrancar knew exactly what he was doing. A seemingly hopeless situation was completely turned around to his advantage by just one act of insubordination. Mayuri's greed and thirst for power will not go unnoticed by the authority beyond the Captain General, and Ulquiorra knew it. This Arrancar planned to use the influence above Soul Society to buy a way out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Mayuri was furious. After being so close to finally getting his hands on that girl, she escaped from his grasp once again. All of his hard work was wasted, but facing an investigation was even worse. All because of that little bitch. He cursed himself for underestimating her. That power was stronger than he has ever imagined and it never occurred to him that he will have so much trouble with handling one woman. That impressive barrier was her last defense and nothing that he did could break through that blasted shield. _Unforgivable!_

"Mayuri-sama…" he heard Nemu's faint voice behind him.

"Shut up!" he yelled throwing a table into the wall.

"Don't punish Nemu for your own mistakes."

Mayuri turned around glaring at Ukitake standing in the doorway.

"What is it, Captain Ukitake?" he asked irritably.

"What were you planning to accomplish by torturing that girl?" Ukitake asked calmly. "Did you even consider that Yamamoto will not take lightly you going against his orders?"

"I did it for the good of Soul Society! Mark my words, Ukitake, that girl has no ordinary powers. It is in our best interests to use them to our advantage."

"_Our_ advantage or _yours_?" Mayuri frowned at his words but Ukitake remained unperturbed. "We were always aware of Inoue Orihime's powers, but studying them using torture was never our intention. You did not just ignore the rules of the Commander but also committed an act of violence again a human."

"I always used harsh methods to accomplish what was needed. This is no different."

"But it _is_ different. The girl is not an enemy. She is one of Kurosaki Ichigo's friends whose crime was still in question."

"Nonsense! Friend or no friend, she is a traitor who sided with the enemy. Why else would those hollow come here to rescue her?"

"Indeed." Ukitake said thoughtfully. "And it's not about Kurosaki Ichigo anymore either. Have you seen the look on that Arrancar's face when he brought her back?"

Mayuri snickered. "What of it? I haven't become a captain to be afraid of some mere hollow's tricks."

"These are not just some _mere __tricks_. And these are no longer ordinary hollows. He is immensely powerful, much more than an average Arrancar. But not only that, he is also very smart and cunning."

"I haven't become the head of Research and Development for nothing, Captain Ukitake. Outsmarting the smart is my job."

Ukitake studied him carefully before speaking again. Even though Mayuri didn't show it, he was nervous. Nobody has ever been able to beat him at his own game. That Arrancar was no joke and he had an agenda that might shake the very foundation of Soul Society.

"You better be careful." was all he said.

* * *

"Well, shit, look who is here? They managed to catch you too!" Grimmjow sneered.

Ulquiorra remained silent turning his head away and staring at the crescent moon outside the window. Now all he could do was wait. The Shinigami in charge will eventually summon and interrogate him, and that is when he will put his plan into motion. All of the Arrancar were caught and put into one single cell. Apparently Soul Society did not think that their captive hollows might regroup and attack again. Arrogant bastards.

But at least she was safe for now. The execution was put off and Soul Society concentrated their efforts elsewhere, the murderer who tortured her. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. The image of diminished and bruised Orihime never left his mind. She was an incredibly strong woman for enduring all of those hardships. Despite her powers being at their weakest, she was still able to defy someone as strong as a Shinigami captain. And he felt a sense of pride that she managed to hold her ground until the help got there. When she first came to Hueco Mundo on Aizen's orders, he already knew that she was not ordinary. He was not wrong.

Her human frailty and a strong mind never failed to surprise him the more he got to know her. Back then Ulquiorra already knew that she must be protected, always. And then he thought about what she said to him after he rescued her from Mayuri. She loved him. How could she? That was the problem he couldn't find a solution to. Orihime was a human who lived in the sun, and he was a demon meant to linger in the shadows of the world where she did not belong. Even if this mission was successful, where would they go from here? Where would she follow him?

"Hey! I am talking to you!" Grimmjow's annoyed voice interrupted his thoughts.

Ulquiorra unwilling opened his eyes. "What do you want?" He asked without looking at him.

"How the hell did you let them catch you?"

"My priority was to rescue Inoue Orihime. She is safe now."

"Well, shit, that's nice. But what about us?"

"I am going to bargain with Soul Society to release us and the woman."

"In exchange for what?"

"In exchange for them continuing to exist as they are."

"You sneaky bastard," Nnoitra cut in "What are you planning?"

"Because of Soul Society's relaxed antics, a human was nearly killed."

"So? She was on a death sentence anyway."

"Irrelevant. Her case was not officially closed. She was not to be harmed until the final decision was made. Soul Society is obligated to follow the rules to protect humans. If they fail, the whole system must be purged and rebuilt from scratch."

"Hold on." Grimmjow interrupted, "Are you trying to tell me that we didn't come here to kill these Shinigami bastards?"

"I thought I made it clear that our mission was to rescue Inoue Orihime."

"That's fucking it? Why not blow the whole shit up?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at him feeling his annoyance rising. All brawn and no brain, he was growing tired of dealing with fools like these.

"So, you're saying we are here to rescue your pet." Nnoitra spoke again "That's too much of an effort for one little chick. You'll have to share the goods."

"She is under my care…."

"Cut the bullshit." Grimmjow yelled, "Aizen-_sama_ is no longer here for you to use that excuse again!"

Nnoitra cocked a brow in amusement. The rest of the Arrancar remained unmoved watching Ulquiorra in silent anticipation.

"I agree with Grimmjow." Starrk finally interjected, "Just rescuing the girl and not doing anything about Soul Society doesn't seem right."

"Yes. I say we crush them while we can so they don't mess with us again." Yammy agreed.

Everyone else nodded.

"I never said that we won't do anything about them." Ulquiorra looked straight at Starrk. "There will be a deal that will secure the safety of Inoue Orihime and prevent the war with Hueco Mundo."

"How can you guarantee that?"

"Soul Society has been careless, so careless that they broke one of their biggest laws. And their superiors will not treat it lightly."

Starrk nodded and Ulquiorra relaxed a little. While Grimmjow and Nnoitra only cared about fighting, Starrk was more level headed and didn't seem to like settling matters with fists. Some of them probably wouldn't like the idea of the truce between Hueco Mundo and the Shinigami, and Ulquiorra suspected who. But that did not matter. He was now in control of his own destiny, and leading a life filled with nothing but war was out of the question.

* * *

Orihime looked at the dim light in the distance. The dawn was approaching but she couldn't sleep a wink. She was sitting by the window in the fourth squad's headquarters with most of her body covered in bandages, but thanks to Unohana's superb skills she was healing quickly. Under normal circumstances Orihime would've been able to heal herself. But after Mayuri's experiments her energy was drained and she could barely walk.

There were too many thoughts in her head, and her mind was filled with hope and apprehension. Strangely, she wasn't worried that Ulquiorra would fail to convince Soul Society to release her. He had a plan and she trusted him to see it through. But the uncertain future between the hollows and Shinigami concerned her the most. What if her release caused Ulquiorra more than he has bargained for? Will she ever see him after this? Will the relations between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo improve or will they continue killing each other?

Orihime brushed her fears aside. She couldn't afford sulking right now. He was there fighting for her and she will have to support him in this.

There was a light knock but Orihime didn't hear it. A figure came in and quietly closed the door. A few seconds later Orihime felt someone standing over her. She slightly turned her head coming face to face with a scowling Matsumoto.

"What are you still doing up? Don't you know a girl needs her beauty sleep?" she demanded.

Orihime smiled faintly, turning her head back to the window. "I was just thinking…"

"I'll listen to whatever is bothering you, so talk to me." Matsumoto said gently, drawing a chain to sit next to her.

Orihime stared out into the distance gathering her thoughts. Today will probably be the day that will decide hers and Ulquiorra's future. She felt strange, something she has never experienced before and she couldn't explain it. Her mind was racing and there was so much she wanted to say, yet nothing wanted to come out.

"I'll beat you up some more if you don't talk to me." Matsumoto warned in mock irritation.

Orihime sighed. If only Matsumoto could read minds and peek into her head. That would've made things so much easier.

"Isn't it amazing," she finally spoke, "when something starts to work out, something else comes crushing. I don't remember the last time anything was right in my life."

"Are you worried about the final judgment?"

Orihime shook her head. Fearing for her life was the last thing that concerned her now.

"Rangiku-san…" she asked reluctantly, "Have you ever cared for someone so much that the thought of losing them was worse than death?"

Matsumoto was a bit stunned. She remembered the conversation they had a while ago back at Orihime's apartment, but this time she had a feeling it was different.

"What makes you think you will lose them?"

"Because by all rules of logic and common sense we do not belong together. We are supposed to be enemies. One of us is supposed to be dead. Yet here I am fighting the very people whom I thought were my friends just to be with him."

Orihime trembled, but she refused to break down and cry. Convincing herself over and over that she was exaggerating was pointless. Something was going to happen and expecting a happy ending for everyone was naïve, and she was no longer that. What little time she spent with Ulquiorra brought in a new wave of emotions that was difficult to control, and Orihime often wished she was a little bit more like him. He was always so calm and collected never betraying anything, even if he was dying inside. And the last time she saw him she knew that Ulquiorra was fighting with himself to keep his emotions under control.

"So, you are worried that at the end your freedom will be at his expense."

Orihime nodded in silence. "And there is nothing I can do about it. If I try to stop him, he won't let me." She turned her head, looking at Matsumoto. "I know I have to be strong for his sake, and I am trying not to think about these things. But it is so hard."

Matsumoto frowned a little. _So that person is one of them. Who would've thought the cute little Orihime had it in her?_

"You silly girl," she smiled lightly. "It's perfectly fine. You can't help the way you feel. Even though things might not look good right now, there is always a chance that you're wrong. You are surrounded by the people who care about you. Surely there is enough support to avoid unnecessary sacrifices?"

Orihime nodded. "I know, you're right…"

"But I have to ask, "Matsumoto interrupted, remembering Orihime's tortured love for Ichigo, "Are you sure about it this time?"

Even though Orihime was unhappy, she didn't look like that miserable creature who cried in her arms all those months ago because the boy she loved liked someone else.

"I asked myself that question many times before." Orihime replied, "This seems impossible, doesn't it? And it would've been easier to stop, to let go, to forget and start over. But I couldn't, and I knew I did not want to. It feels like the puzzle has been finally solved. So, the answer is always _yes_."

Her mouth curved in a tiny smile then she turned her head to the window again. The sun has finally risen consuming everything in its light. The Vice Captain followed her gaze without saying anything. Matsumoto didn't know what to say to something she had no solution to. Both women sat in silence lost in their own thoughts. Orihime had a long and tenuous journey ahead of her. And Matsumoto's only hope was that she had enough strength to endure any loss that came her way.

* * *

They finally came for him at noon, just like he'd expected. The security was higher than usual and he was escorted out by five guards, but that wasn't surprising. Despite being able to capture him, Soul Society still saw a potential danger in his powers. Ulquiorra was slightly amused by their efforts. He obviously made them nervous. But today he will settle everything once and for all, even if it meant saying goodbye to Orihime.

They passed not too far from the forth squad's headquarters and Ulquiorra could feel her riatsu. Orihime was recovering quickly. But he did not dare look, not anymore. After the months that they spent together, he finally understood what she meant by hearts beating as one. He saw it in himself. Every emotion that she felt, happiness and pain, went through him as well and he felt it too. But these feelings weren't alien to him. Ulquiorra already had traces of them when Ichigo blasted into the tower to fight. He knew back then that he couldn't let her go, but it was before he had a chance to understand why.

The group finally entered the first squad's headquarters. Everyone was already gathered waiting for him to arrive. As soon as Ulquiorra came in, the captains and vice-captains turned their heads into his direction. He eyed the room, his gaze stopping on Mayuri looking at him with disgust. The Captain sneered in return. But Ulquiorra did not flinch_. You will receive your punishment soon enough.  
_

Finally, they reached the middle, then the guards quietly retreated. Yamamoto studied Ulquiorra for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"You invaded Seireitei and endangered the balance between Soul Society and the human world just to rescue one prisoner who was about to be tried for her crimes. Are you aware of the consequences?"

Ulquiorra remained unmoved by his words. Yamamoto was trying to pressure him but he will not let him.

"Inoue Orihime undergone severe physical and emotional trauma in Hueco Mundo." He answered tonelessly. "Soul Society did not even attempt to investigate it. Instead you decided to dispose of her because she possesses the power you cannot control. Executing her wasn't done for the greater good of anyone, but a malicious attempt to get rid of a potential threat."

Yamamoto frowned. "Nonsense! How dare you challenge the authority of Seireitei? Inoue Orihime committed an act of treason by trying to revive an enemy that was defeated. She neither expressed regret nor took any responsibility for it."

Ulquiorra did not bulge. "And she did not succeed. Yet, you were still eager to expose of her after destroying the source of her power. This was in direct violation of your law to preserve the humans. You also overlooked the fact that she was brutally tortured by one of your own and neither did you carry out any punishment for it."

Loud chatter broke out all around him, but Ulquiorra ignored it never taking his eyes off Yamamoto. "Seireitei failed to uphold its own law and to protect the humans. And as you know, if that happens it must be rebuilt from scratch."

"Preposterous." Yamamoto said shaking his head. "You are way over your head, Arrancar, if you think a mere hollow like you can break us."

Ulquiorra was about to answer, but he heard noise behind him. He turned his head sideways observing the commotion.

Three figures entered, Ulquiorra recognized all but one.

"He probably can't. But I can." said one of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"He probably can't, but I can." said one of the newcomers.

Ulquiorra eyed one of the familiar faces. "You are late." He said impassively.

Urahara put his fan to his mouth hiding a mischievous smile. "So sorry, Schiffer-san, convincing this guy took longer than I thought." he pointed at a man clad in a Shinigami uniform which Ulquiorra has never seen before. The third person was Shihouin Yoruichi who remained silent curiously observing the spectacle in front of her.

"Urahara Kisuke!" Yamamoto bellowed, "What is the meaning of this?"

But Urahara did not get a chance to respond. The unknown Shinigami took a step forward curving his mouth into a sly smile. "It's been a while, old man, how have you been?"

Yamamoto's scowl deepened as he looked at him, then slowly raised his hand pointing a finger at the Shinigami. "And YOU! You still have the nerve to show your face here, Kurosaki Isshin?"

As soon as everyone heard his name, the hall exploded into a loud chatter.

"My my, and I expected a better reception after so many years of service." Isshin's smile never left his face. Despite Yamamoto's visible anger, he remained completely at ease.

"Don't you think for a second that you still have any authority here after resigning your position to marry a human!"

"I might not have any authority _here_." Isshin's face finally grew serious, "But as the former Guard Captain of the Royal Realm, I am sure _someone_ over there still remembers me."

_Kurosaki?_ Ulquiorra carefully examined the Shinigami. _Could he be related to Kurosaki Ichigo?_

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Despite Isshin's relax attitude, he meant business, especially considering his past in the Spirit King's realm. While the Gotei 13 captains were much more powerful than any regular Shinigami, those who served in the Royal Realm still surpassed them in strength.

"What is your business here?" the Captain-Commander asked in a more relaxed tone.

"Seems to me that you are trying to dispose of a human girl, old man. Did the Spirit King lower his standards or was it you?"

"The human is dangerous and unstable. Her powers are hazardous to the balance between the spirit and material worlds. What's worse, she's been sympathizing with the hollows!" Yamamoto looked accusingly at Ulquiorra.

"It does sound dangerous." Isshin scratched the back of his head. "What were the implications of her actions?"

"None." Ulquiorra cut in. "The woman had no intention of going against the Shinigami. She was rescued from the execution and brought to Hueco Mundo as a safety precaution."

Isshin frowned looking from Ulquiorra to Yamamoto. "So, the girl did nothing to hurt Soul Society, sought sanctuary in Hueco Mundo, yet was still deemed dangerous because due to emotional instability she attempted to revive a hollow."

"I don't need to tell you what hollows are." Yamamoto said sternly.

"Even if she revived me successfully, I wouldn't have gone against Soul Society. There was no absolute loyalty between Aizen and the Espada." Ulquiorra retorted "And right now, he is even a bigger threat since nobody knows where he is and what he is planning. He betrayed both the Shinigami and the Arrancar. So, he is a common enemy to us all."

Isshin looked at him processing his last comment. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"Instead of aimlessly pursuing one human who poses no threat and whose power can be of greater use in the future against Aizen, concentrate your efforts on finding him and preparing against his next attack. It will also be to our benefit to seek a temporary truce and cooperate with each other."

"Working with the hollows? Ridiculous! For all we know you could be lying!" yelled a female captain.

"I have no reason to lie." Ulquiorra replied coldly. "Hueco Mundo is disorganized. It still has no absolute authority. You can easily invade it and locate Aizen's riatsu if he is there. And you did it several times after the war ended. Now is no different."

"If Hueco Mundo cannot even put up a decent defense, how can it be of any use against someone like Aizen?" asked the silvered haired captain.

"With the proper authority the order can be easily restored. Most of the Espada have been brought back and their powers continues to grow. Under the appropriate leadership, they will be a sizable force against Aizen."

The Shinigami remained silent after Ulquiorra's proposal. Never in the history of Soul Society have they ever sided with hollows. Even the very idea was inconceivable.

The Captain-Commander finally tapped his cane on the floor. "What you are proposing is impossible. The hollows have been our enemies for centuries. You cannot be trusted."

Isshin chuckled. "You are too set in your ways. Is the old tradition so much more important than preserving peace?"

Yamamoto scowled at his insolence, but Isshin ignored it.

"The Spirit King has been too lax with his subordinates for a very long time. I don't remember you ever hunting humans when I was in his service."

The Captain-Commander considered his words. He was a prideful man who exercised absolute authority among the Gotei 13 and did not like being challenged. But Kurosaki Isshin was not one of his subordinates. And while he wasn't in the Spirit King's service any more, he still had some influence in the Spirit Realm.

"Fine," Yamamoto's voice rang through the hall, "But, mark my words, hollow, one wrong move and the arrangement is off."

Ulquiorra remained silent.

"However," he continued, "One issue remains unsolved. Who will take charge of Hueco Mundo?"

Ulquiorra knew it would come to this. At the end, the decision would be his to make and there was none among the Espada who was fit for the job. Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Yammy, and Luppi were too short tempered and violent. Starrk and Harribel had little motivation and preferred to follow rather than to lead. And Szayel only cared about his experiments. Ulquiorra was the only one with the proper skills who could pull it off, but that would mean he had to go back to Hueco Mundo indefinitely and sever his ties with Orihime. If he did not, nothing that he set out to do would be solved.

He suppressed the pain in his chest at the thought of never seeing her again. He was resolved to save her and this was the only way.

"I have the required skills to rebuild Hueco Mundo and make the necessary preparations to face Aizen." Ulquiorra finally answered.

Yamamoto seemed to be satisfied with his answer. "However," he said, "Inoue Orihime stays under the authority of Soul Society. She is prohibited to go to the hollows' realm."

Ulquiorra knew this was coming. Her powers were too much of a threat to Seireitei to be allowed outside of its sphere of influence. Despite this truce, there was still a considerable amount of mistrust towards the Arrancar which will never cease to exist. But this was good enough. Inoue Orihime will go back to her normal life in the human world and when Aizen attacks, Soul Society will make the necessary arrangements to secure her safety, if only to protect her powers.

"Understood." Was his final answer.

* * *

Orihime was pacing in her room. It's been hours since the meeting started and there was still no word of the outcome. Was Ulquiorra successful? Or was he arrested and charged with every possible crime imaginable? The wait was getting more and more unbearable with each passing hour and the more she waited the harder it was for her to stay optimistic.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside of her room. Someone was coming. An unexpected sense of panic washed over her. After waiting for so long, she couldn't help but imagine the worst.

A few moments later Ichigo, Rukia, and Yoruichi walked into her room with stern expressions on their faces. Orihime swallowed hard bracing herself.

"Inoue…" Yoruichi started first. "You are free to go home. Soul Society will no longer seek to punish you."

Orihime gave a nervous laugh. "But that is good news, isn't it? Why are you all looking so depressed?"

A second ticked but none of them spoke.

"Where is Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked cautiously, anxiety rising.

"That's what we came here to talk to you about." Ichigo said. "He is going back to Hueco Mundo."

"For how long? When is he coming back?" she demanded.

"That's…." Rukia interjected, "unknown. We don't think he will be coming back."

"What do you mean _he will not be coming back_?" Orihime yelled frantically, "Where is he? I have to talk to him!"

"Inoue," Yoruichi pleaded, "Don't make it hard on yourself. He made that decision on his own. Let him go. They are opening a portal for him as we speak. You won't be able to get there in time."

But Orihime did not hear her. She rushed out of the door anxiously searching for Ulquiorra's riatsu. And after finally finding it, she took off into its direction. Why in the world was he doing this? And without even talking to her first. Did he just decide everything on his own? Was this his idea of saving her? Orihime was not an angry person, but at that moment she felt like slapping him again.

She finally saw the dimensional gate in the distance and increased her pace. As she came close, she saw Ulquiorra standing with his back to her surrounded by the rest of the Espada. In just a few moments they will all be gone.

As if sensing her presence, he turned his head sideways in silent anticipation.

"Stop!" Orihime yelled trying to catch her breath.

The rest of the Espada looked into her direction.

"Oh, look!" Nnoitra gave a smile full of teeth, "Your pet came to see you off!"

"I need to talk to you." Orihime said quietly not taking her eyes off Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra remained silent turning back to the portal. The gate finally opened and the Arrancar started going through it without giving her a second glance. Ulquiorra was the last one to go.

Orihime took a few strides grabbing him by the sleeve. "Please," she begged.

He hesitated for a moment before finally looking at her.

"What you are doing is meaningless. This will not change anything." his voice was strangely cold.

"I don't understand. What are you doing? Why are you leaving without even saying anything to me?"

So, she wanted an explanation. The goddamn woman wanted him to tell her why he chose to subject himself to this hell. From the very beginning he knew that associating with her would not end well for either of them. He knew it, yet he didn't do a damn thing to stop it. A hollow like him was not meant to form sentimental attachments and feel every exhausting human emotion that this woman wore on her sleeve. A life of war and despair was all he was meant to have. But against all odds, he still shared a bond with her. His simple fascination with Inoue Orihime grew into an obsession and then a burgeoning emotion that absolutely consumed him. Humans called it "love". And it's because of this "love" he faced the whole of Gotei 13 trying to clear her name and protect her safety. And it's because of this "love" he chose to relinquish her forever.

And now he had to put up a face of indifference so she would stop harboring any illusions that he will come back for her.

_It is the heart that causes you humans pain. It is because of your heart that you will die. _Those were the words he said to Kurosaki Ichigo back at the dome. But right now they held a different meaning to him. It was much easier living as an empty shell, not seeing any meaning in anything, and not caring for anyone. And she shook the foundation of that to its very core. She made him feel things that he did not think were possible. She made him yearn for life and desire someone more than he could ever imagine. And Ulquiorra could never dream that giving it all up, giving _her_ up would be this agonizing. But having years of experience of not showing his true self made it easy to feign disinterest.

"I volunteered to take charge of Hueco Mundo and prepare it for the future onslaught from Aizen." Ulquiorra said tonelessly. "That will make our further involvement impossible. Soul Society forbade you from going there and I cannot stay here."

"I don't believe you!" Orihime protested, "If you have to go back, I'm coming with you. Surely Soul Soci-"

"Ridiculous." he cut her off. "By going there you will undo everything."

She was about to protest again but he continued in the same detached voice, his cold eyes lifelessly staring at her.

"You will stay here and provide assistance when needed. Do not seek me out. Do not attempt to go to Hueco Mundo. Forget everything."

Orihime listened to him and felt her eyes starting to moisten. He was dead serious without wanting to even give her a chance to convince him otherwise.

"This ends here." Ulquiorra said with finality. "You will not associate with hollows any further."

With those words he stepped through the portal and disappeared into the darkness. Orihime sank to her knees with silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't, she _wouldn't_ accept it. He left her behind without so much as a good-bye. She was told off like a nuisance and he simply left without even looking back. What a cruel thing to do. But what did she expect? Despite his change, he was still a hollow. That was his nature.

Orihime didn't know for how she's been sitting there. Ulquiorra and the rest of the Arrancar were long gone and she was left with nothing but a memory. He gave her everything and he took everything away. He was her friend, her confidant, her lover. She trusted him and believed that nothing would ever come between them until she saw the old indifference in his eyes that lingered there during their first meeting.

If he didn't want her anymore, fine! She will not go looking for him either. She will not beg for another explanation. She will do nothing. Orihime's anger grew as much as her resolve. He made her fall in love with him, and then he cast her aside. She's had enough of that. Now all that mattered was improving her power, getting stronger, and being an asset on the battle field. She will show everyone what she was capable of, and not even Soul Society would stop her. No more destructions and disappointments. Enough was enough.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Five years later…_

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled throwing a black bolt of lightning at a horde of creatures in front of him.

Since the invasion three months ago, the monster onslaught happened on almost a daily basis. It took a huge toll on everyone and the resources were running thin. It weren't just maddened hollows anymore, but a new type of hellish creatures that were getting harder and harder to kill and Ichigo was running out of options.

It's been a long fight tonight and there was still no end to the assault. Ichigo wearily stuck Zangetsu into the ground for support. Something needed to be done fast before everyone was completely depleted.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled running up to him, "We got rid of them on the other side, but more keep coming!"

"Damn." he swore under his breath.

There were explosions and wild roar all around them. The sky was filled with such thick smoke that the entire area was covered in darkness even during the day time. Karakura town was in ruins, now serving as a playground to the enemy. But, thankfully most of the citizens were safely put to rest in Soul Society before the destruction, completely oblivious to the hell that was unleashed on their home.

Ichigo looked at Rukia who was breathing hard from running. She was obviously tired but did her best not to show it. "Is everyone alright?" He asked her softly.

Rukia gave a shaky nod. "Inoue is healing the injured. Chad, Renji, and Ishida are still fighting."

Another explosion roared through the air causing them to jump.

"We need to wrap this up quickly!" Ichigo yelled. "Everyone is nearly at their limit and the reinforcements are not coming!"

Rukia nodded again scanning the area, Ichigo followed her gaze.

Reinforcements rarely ever came. Soul Society was pitifully outnumbered by the crushing force of their former captain. His armies were infinitely large and it seemed that the more was defeated, the more monsters came to take their place. And while the ranks of Aizen's army seemed to replenish quickly, the Shinigami were not as fortunate. The losses always outnumbered the new recruits, and Seireitei did not have the time to give them any proper training. Instead, they were expected to train on the battlefield, which left Ichigo completely dumbfounded by the sheer cruelty of it. But there was nothing he could do about it. This was the reality of war.

A loud roar and more distant explosions finally brought him out of his thoughts and he looked at Rukia expectantly. She finally motioned for him to follow her and took off running. Ichigo was right behind her.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Hold on, just a little bit longer." Orihime whispered crouching over an injured Shinigami.

It's been a long night and she already lost count of how many she healed. Orihime felt like she would soon collapse from exhaustion, but the battle was far from over.

There were sporadic surges of riatsu everywhere blocking their communication. But she could still feel the presence of her friends. Ichigo and Rukia were in the distance fighting. Ishida was a few feet away fending off the monsters who were trying to break through her barrier that she put up to protect the injured. And Chad and Renji were lost somewhere in the middle of the chaos. Orihime wasn't sure where they were, but at least she knew that they were alive.

She closed her eyes trying to recollect the last memories of peace before the second war erupted. But her mind was completely blank, she could barely remember anything.

Aizen disappeared several years ago without a trace. Even though everyone was training hard in anticipation of him coming back, nobody ever expected anything like this. Now it suddenly started to make sense why it took him so long to return and why nobody could find him. Aizen disappeared to a place completely uncharted, where even Soul Society had no foothold, the hell dimension. And the army that he brought with him wasn't just a collection of rogue hollows that everyone fought before, but every demonic monstrosity Orihime thought only existed in horror stories.

But it wasn't the extent of their problems. Aizen struck them where it hurt the most – their alliance with Hueco Mundo. After its leader declined to acknowledge Aizen as their superior, he completely sealed it off by unleashing an army so devastating that it made it virtually impossible for the Arrancar to assist with the fight in the material world. Soul Society never anticipated to be outnumbered and outwitted yet again and the implications were demoralizing.

From the corner of her eye Orihime saw a new pack of monsters approaching her barrier. They looked demented and hungry with nothing but murder in their eyes. Then she looked at Ishida who was already struggling to keep one group at bay. He was injured and worn-out; trying to fight more of them would mean suicide. Forcing herself to her feet, Orihime gathered the remains of her strength feeling a surge going through her body. The wounded were not in critical condition anymore. So, she had to concentrate her efforts on helping Ishida now.

_Koten Zanshun, I reject! _Her mind chanted over and over. And a moment later a small flash of light rammed through the creatures leaving nothing behind but lifeless heaps of flesh. She looked into the distance trying to find her friends again. They were tired but not seriously hurt, and she gave a sigh of relief. The explosions soon stopped, signifying the end of tonight's battle and the monsters finally ceased their assault.

Orihime came up to Ishida giving him her shoulder for support. He smiled faintly in reassurance, she smiled back but her smile did not reach her eyes. It's only been three months, and she was already tired of it all. But seeing her home being completely destroyed was the worst. Her apartment building was gone and in the place of her school there was a giant crater. All of her happy memories and places that she cherished the most were no more. The entire town was leveled to nothing but rubble. When she first saw it like that she could barely contain her tears, and it took some time getting used to the devastation. But still, every time Orihime came back, she felt an invisible force tagging at her heart.

Soon, Chad and Renji came out from a cloud of dust, and then Ichigo and Rukia showed up as well. Everyone was finally reunited, and it was time to go back to the other realm.

When the war started everyone moved to Soul Society because the constant attacks made it impossible to continue living in the material world safely. Orihime barely had enough time to collect her belongings, and the only things she was able to bring were the old photo of Sora and the diary she hasn't updated in years. But there was nothing she wanted to write there. All of her days were the same, filled with nothing but anxiety, stress, and war.

The portal finally opened and in a few minutes the group was standing in the middle of Seireitei.

"Third sit Inoue! Status report!" Isane Kotetsu said, waiting for them on the other side.

Orihime turned her head noticing a group of Shinigami running towards them with medical supplies. Then, she smiled at her lieutenant tiredly.

"All of the enemies have been defeated. We suffered no casualties."

"Good work, everyone." the vice-captain said in a more relaxed tone.

Then, she turned to the wounded giving out orders to transport them to the Fourth Division's medical center. "Alright! Everyone's accounted for. Let's move out."

The friends said their last goodbyes and fifteen minutes later Orihime found herself in the darkness of her room. But despite the overwhelming exhaustion she couldn't bring herself to sleep. Strange thoughts found a way to creep into her head flooding it with distant memories that she wanted to forget.

* * *

_Five years ago…_

"Inoue! Oh, thank goodness, are you alright?" Rukia asked worriedly, getting on her knees in front of her friend. Matsumoto and Yoruichi were right behind her.

Orihime shut her eyes trying to block everyone out. She felt angry, tired, and incredibly hurt. Ulquiorra was gone leaving a gigantic hole in her heart that she did not know how to mend. It's happened to her again, a love that left her devastated. What a cruel twist of fate to do this to her again. She really was a fool after all who never learned from her mistakes.

"Orihime-chan," Matsumoto said gently, "Come with us."

Orihime got up forcing herself not to look back at the last place where she saw him. The women quietly let her away, and she soon found herself at the Kuchiki estate with three sets of eyes worriedly looking her, but Orihime did not care. She was in a limbo with only one thing on her mind – training until her powers were on par with the seated officers of Seireitei. She had to get strong and overcome this by any means necessary, otherwise, the memories would consume her and she would be defeated by despair. _I will not forgive myself if I lose._ And she meant every word of it.

When she told her friends that she wanted to join the Shinigami academy, they first thought she wasn't thinking straight because of what happened with Ulquiorra. Orihime was not a Shinigami material and neither did she have the type of powers to make her one. But after seeing her untapped potential, Yamamoto decided to make an exception. And it wasn't the first time he did that. Zaraki Kenpachi never learned his Ban Kai, yet he was one of the most feared Captains. And Orihime was only glad she could use him as an example to win Yamamoto's approval. However, she suspected that his easy disposition wasn't a coincidence. Soul Society was still after her powers and she decided to use their greed to her advantage.

At first she thought it would be strange to be part of the organization that tried to kill her not so long ago. But Orihime did not feel any resentment at all. Ulquiorra's and Isshin's influence did not go to waste either. And even though Captain Mayuri's punishment was too mild for the crime against her, watching him scream in defeat as his demotion was officially announced was somewhat satisfying.

The next several years were spent in strict training and meditation. Orihime knew that her healing abilities were extremely valuable and decided to seek Unohana's guidance to join her squad. Little by little her powers grew stronger and she was able to rise in ranks within the fourth division in no time. At first, everyone was apprehensive because of the nature of her powers and the lack of a soul cutter. But Orihime's kindness and efficiency on the battlefield proved her worth again and again.

After the war started, her skills already greatly surpassed most members of her division. And, it wasn't long before she was officially made a seated officer.

* * *

She collapsed on her bed trying to shut the memories out. The past five years seemed like a dream. And every time Orihime looked in the mirror, sometimes she wondered if it was a stranger wearing her face who stared back at her. Never in her life did she ever imagine to be where she was right now. The world has changed and so has she. The cheerful silly girl was long gone and replaced by a beautiful young warrior greatly admired by many. The distant words of Hachi went through her mind reminding of the superhuman willpower that dragged her out of her limbo. No, it was her after all. It was always her. And her broken heart and the war only sped up the process of realizing it.

Orihime sighed shutting her eyes. She wanted to believe that her efforts were not in vain, that the last several years closed up the old wounds and put everything to rest. Yet, sometimes she would still wake up in the middle of the night haunted by the images of piercing green eyes that she both hated and adored. Some nights the demon visited her in her dreams looking at her with the same detached expression that she thought was hidden in the darkest recesses of her mind. And sometimes he even talked to her, but she could never understand his words. Her friends thought that everything was history, that her resolve was unshakable. But Orihime knew better. There were some things that were not meant to be completely forgotten.

* * *

_A few days later…_

"You're going to travel back to the material realm and investigate the latest phenomena." Yamamoto eyed the group in front of him.

Everyone was assembled at the Captains' meeting discussing the new events occurring in the ruins of Karakura Town.

"Strange surges of power are erupting at random locations. And we do not know the source."

"That has to be Aizen playing his new tricks." Ichigo said in a solemn voice.

"Perhaps. But since we don't know where it is coming from, you are going to investigate it."

"We will move out as soon as we gather an assault team."

"That won't be necessary." Yamamoto gave a curt reply. "Since there hasn't been another attack, it is going to be just the four of you. Take Abarai, Kuchiki, and Inoue then move out immediately."

Orihime watched Ichigo frown, but he did not say a word. Despite disliking their methods, he knew that Soul Society needed to preserve their resources as much as possible. So arguing was pointless.

And thirty minutes later they were back at the ruins.

"Let's split up and look for clues." Rukia suggested.

"Be careful everyone." Ichigo said. "Let's meet back here in an hour."

"Good luck, guys!"

And a minute later she was alone.

Orihime examined the area looking for the alien riatsu. Then she felt something in the distance which was strangely familiar. It gave her an odd feeling of déjà vu but she still couldn't recognize it. Without wasting another minute she took off running into its direction.

Soon she saw a red glow in the distance. Orihime came closer looking around. There was a red sphere a few feet above the ground with lightning surges sporadically shooting out of it. She still couldn't identify it, yet it felt too familiar which made her uncomfortable.

As if sensing her presence, the sphere moved and a second later started growing larger. Orihime felt a pulse before a sudden realization struck her.

_A bomb! _

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!"

A few seconds later everything was covered in rubble. Orihime recalled her fairies and opened her eyes scanning her surroundings. Thick dust was everywhere blurring her vision. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Soon the dust started dissolving and Orihime noticed something a short distance away. She slowly got up mentally preparing herself for an attack.

The figure did not move and Orihime took a step closer.

"What are you doing here, Shinigami?"

A cold deep monotone sent a shiver down her spine. _That voice…_

"Who are you?" she asked recovering her composure.

The figure ignored her question and started to walk away. Orihime impulsively took off after it.

More dust cleared away and the silhouette started looking strangely familiar. But she still couldn't tell who it was.

As if sensing her following it, the figure suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Not another step closer." the voice commanded again.

Orihime knew that she heard it before and she was absolutely determined to find out who it was.

A sudden gust of wind blew the remaining debris away finally revealing the stranger in front of her. They stood in silence looking at each other. And Orihime did not even notice that she was holding her breath. Standing right in front of her was unmistakably the demon that she spent the last five years trying to forget.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You've come."

His solemn voice brought Orihime out of her trance. Her mind raced. She couldn't believe Ulquiorra's mere presence could affect her so much. But there he was, standing right in front of her completely unaffected by finally being reunited after years of separation. There was no joy or even a flicker of familiarity in his eyes. He just stood there and watched her like a stranger, while Orihime felt like her heart would jump out of her chest.

Seeing the emotions dancing on her face, he finally averted his eyes and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Orihime called after him, "How did you get here? What was it above the ground?"

Ulquiorra hesitated before tilting his head into her direction. "Szayel found a way to transport us back to the human realm. What you saw was a portal that broke through the barrier that sealed us in."

Ignoring the distance that he put between them, Orihime came up to stand in front of him. If he was glad to see her, he sure did not show it.

"That's good news!" she said nervously. "Now we can all fight against Aizen together."

"Indeed."

He looked down at her with intensity that Orihime did not recognize. There was something different about him, his eyes, his face. Ulquiorra always had a serious expression, but right now there was a distinct harshness that she did not notice before. It made her feel uncomfortable. There was something unnatural in the chilly way he looked at her. Was it anger? Sadness? She couldn't tell. Even the tear marks were different, thicker and darker. Orihime shivered, suddenly feeling very small under his frigid gaze.

"So, you joined _them_." he remarked in a low voice.

"Yes." she answered, her self-consciousness growing. "I needed to do it to get stronger."

"I see." His eyes roamed over her uniform. "It doesn't suit you."

Orihime stared back in puzzlement. He was saying strange things.

"In any case, tell your superiors that Hueco Mundo found a way into the material world. We will fulfill our end of the bargain to assist with the fight against Aizen."

She nodded trying to hide her uneasiness. Ulquiorra always seemed emotionless on the surface, but in the past his desire to protect her told her otherwise. Yet, she never anticipated him to be this distant. There was not a shred of affection or even acknowledgment in the way he looked at her. Had he completely forgotten her? Did the last five years really change him this much? Orihime felt the familiar dull pain in her chest that refused to leave her alone. While he remained emotionless, her heart was in disarray. Yet, she was not willing to admit that it was love. Loving him was an impossible task to bear when all of their lives where in chaos. They had a mission to complete which was bigger than any of them, and she couldn't allow her mind to sway.

Without a word Ulquiorra broke the spell turning away to leave. Silently, Orihime watched him spread his wings and jump into the air. The desire to call after him was eating at her heart, but she did not dare to stop him. Only a moment ago he was standing right in front of her, just a touch away, and the next she was all alone watching him disappear into the darkness. Orihime closed her eyes feeling the same sense of loss as she did all those years ago. He slipped from her grasp once again.

* * *

The encounter with Ulquiorra was an unexpected development that opened new possibilities in the war against Aizen. Yet, some were afraid that the years of no contact with Soul Society put more strain between them and Hueco Mundo. Not that there was much trust before, but the lack of communication increased the rift even further. And it was still unclear how the rest of the Arrancar felt about working with their former enemies, despite Ulquiorra's guarantee that they would help the Shinigami.

It's been a while since the mission was completed and reported to Yamamoto, but there were still no new orders. Hueco Mundo remained silent with no further activity in Karakura Town and everyone started to wonder if they would ever hear from them again.

"Inoue, did Ulquiorra say anything about contacting us?" Ichigo asked her for the hundredth time.

Orihime shook her head. "No, he only said that Hueco Mundo will help us fight Aizen."

"Argh! What's the point if he's just sitting there and not doing anything?"

"I don't know." she answered quietly.

Reenacting their meeting in her head proved to be useless and it gave her no answers. Did he really mean what he said about helping Soul Society? Why was there no word from Hueco Mundo? Other than that, she dared not question anything else.

"What if we contact them instead?" Rukia suggested.

"We can't just barge in there without anyone's permission." Ishida said.

"True, but how are we supposed to get in touch with them? There was no word since Ulquiorra showed up."

"Maybe barging in is not such a bad idea." Ichigo murmured to himself.

"That won't be necessary."

Several heads turned into the direction of the new voice.

"Captain Ukitake!" Rukia exclaimed. "What are we going to do?"

"We aren't going to do anything. Aizen will eventually attack again, so joining forces with the Arrancar would be inevitable."

"But is it a safe decision to wait? Don't we need to form a strategy of some sort?"

"That would certainly be to our advantage but we can't just invade Hueco Mundo now. After five years of no communication we need to be careful not to completely spoil an already strained relationship."

"So there really isn't any way?"

"There isn't." Ukitake answered shifting his gaze to Orihime.

She has been awfully quiet since he came into the room. While Rukia, Ichigo, Ishida and everyone else listened to what he said, she was just staring at her hands on her lap without acknowledging what was happening around her.

"Inoue," Orihime snapped her head up after hearing her name. "What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"I…ah…agree with everyone." she answered lamely.

But truthfully, she wasn't even sure what she was answering to. For the past twenty minutes she was too busy thinking about the last mission and not paying any attention to what everyone was discussing. Nervousness became anxiety, and anxiety grew into fear. For the first time ever Orihime was afraid, afraid of _him_. No, it wasn't because she thought he would hurt her, it was the fear of losing her resolve to stay strong in front of him, the resolve that she felt was slowly crumbling.

Ulquiorra did not seem to care at all and that made her even more unwilling to fight alongside with him. She did not want to go on another mission where they could run into each other again. It was nice and comfortable here where he was far away. Orihime was in control, her head was clear and her mind was set. But one step outside would bring her out of her protective shell and into the place where he would completely dominate her. More than anything she did not want to be thrown back in time where her heart fluttered at the sight of him. Remembering the coldness and complete detachment on his face made her question if he had ever loved her at all. _It's not like he ever said he did._

From the corner of her eye she saw Ichigo stretching his arms. "Looks like we're gonna have to wait until the next attack for the Arrancar to show up again. If there is nothing else, let's call it a night." He said yawning.

Ukitake nodded silently dismissing everyone. Orihime watched her friends saying their good-byes and leaving the room, then she slowly got up and followed after them. But before she could reach the door she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"A moment before you go, Inoue." She heard Ukitake's gentle voice.

Orihime turned around and looked at him. "Yes, Captain Ukitake?"

"We are expecting to get in contact with Hueco Mundo very soon, so I recommended you for the next several missions because you had close relations with the Arrancar. While that might help with the negotiations, your current lack of focus makes me question my decision. Did I make a mistake in choosing you?"

"No!" she said sharply. "I'm just a little tired. A good night's sleep will make me as good as new."

"I hope so." Ukitake replied. "It's not the time to let sentiments take over your judgment."

Orihime watched him go trying to shake her demons away. She could not be doubted now, not when the crucial battle with Aizen was approaching. They needed her, and no one else, to help fix the relationship with the hollows. And she couldn't let them down, not when she invested so much into getting where she was now.

* * *

"What the fuck are we waiting for? It's been a month since you broke the seal so why wait?"

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra replied calmly, "There is no possible way to go into Soul Society. And we don't need to create any more openings for Aizen by traveling to Karakura Town just to get the attention of the Shinigami."

"What are we going to do then?"

"When Aizen attacks again, we will assist in fighting him."

"What makes you think they will not backstab us?" Nnoitra asked, "They were always looking down on us."

"Soul Society thinks that we are indebted to them for releasing us and Inoue Orihime. They will hold us to that promise and will most likely try to use her to make sure we come to their aid."

"I hate those bastards." Grimmjow swore under his breath. "Why can't we just forget about them and fight Aizen by ourselves?"

"Joining forces gives us a much better chance at victory. And right now it is foolish to make an enemy out of the Shinigami."

Nnoitra smirked. "What's the matter, Ulquiorra? Don't want to fight your little pet? Don't tell me you're still hung up on her?"

Ulquiorra frowned. "When the time comes, I will deal with her _my_ way. _You_ make sure that you are fit for the battle."

Before Nnoitra had a chance to retort, a huge surge of riatsu shook the halls of Las Noches.

"Ha ha!" Grimmjow yelled, "Looks like we don't have to wait for that bastard to show up! Let's go!"

"Hold it." Ulquiorra interrupted him, "This is coming from the other realm. The surge is so powerful that it's disrupting the dimensional rift."

"Who the fuck cares? Let's go kick some ass!"

* * *

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

One by one the monsters fell into motionless piles only to have more appear in their place. There was something different about this attack. They were bigger, stronger, hungrier and their numbers were larger than usual. Orihime often kept her offensive power on reserve to save her strength for healing, but right now she was on the battlefield fighting alongside with Ichigo and the rest of her friends.

It's been a month since she saw Ulquiorra, and Hueco Mundo continued to remain silent. Mostly everyone was sure that they would hear from them before Aizen's next attack. But nobody came to their aid, and Soul Society started to wonder if they could depend on the Arrancar at all.

Brushing the unpleasant thoughts away, Orihime concentrated on what was at hand. She had her work cut out for her this time. Not only was she the only healer, but she also had to fight the enemies and defend her friends.

"Ban Kai!" Ichigo transformed and launched his Getsuga Tensho at the monsters in front of him, instantly vaporizing them into nothing. Immediately, more came and he ran into their direction throwing more attacks.

Ishida blasted his rain of arrows, and Chad, Renji and Rukia were not too far behind fighting off the endless flood of enemies.

Orihime threw a shield and sent Tsubaki at a group running into her direction. The training in Soul Society surely paid off now that she could use several of her abilities simultaneously. But there was no end to this battle. Some of her friends disappeared into the smoke. Others were moving further away without realizing it. They were supposed to stick together, to watch each other's back, but the absolute chaos from Aizen's monstrous onslaught scattered everyone around. And the only hope was that their own abilities were enough to fight through this.

* * *

Several figures stepped out of the portal, immediately focusing on the explosions in the distance. Ulquiorra scanned the area searching for the familiar riatsu, _her_ riatsu, and without another word took off into its direction. Her spiritual power was fluctuating erratically, the woman was struggling.

Despite resolving to keep it strictly related to the war against Aizen, despite resolving to keep his distance, he still couldn't shake off the irrepressible need to make sure that she was safe. Even though she was a Shinigami now, even though her power considerably grew from what it was five years ago, some things remained the same, and it was his need to protect her. It was the same continuous thirst, the same continuous longing, and the same continuous ache inside his chest for only one thing that he couldn't have. He told no one, he even refused to accept it himself. But there was one thing he couldn't do, rip the thoughts of her out of his head and to forget that she had ever existed. Inoue Orihime was his salvation and his curse. And now he was doomed again.

* * *

Orihime turned her head staring into the distance. _It couldn't be! _For a second she could've sworn she sensed something familiar, something that almost felt like…

"Inoue, watch out!" Rukia yelled at her.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!" she chanted shielding herself away from the explosion.

_Pay attention!_ Her mind screamed. How could she be so careless at a time like this? Ulquiorra was not here and he was not coming. She had to get used to it.

More portals started to open up all around them with more monsters pouring out.

"We have to get out of here!" Rukia yelled again.

Somehow everyone got separated and it was just the two girls trying to fight their way out.

"We can't defeat them just by ourselves! Run!"

Stealing the last glance at the monsters, Orihime took off after her friend. There was no end to this onslaught no matter what she did.

"Don't look back! Just run!" she heard Rukia again.

"They are getting closer!" Orihime yelled back.

"See? Over there! It's Ichigo and the others! Once we get there, we will combine our powers and destroy them!" Rukia pointed in front of her.

Orihime looked back again; the monsters were right behind them and getting closer with every second. There was no way they would get to Ichigo in time.

Suddenly she felt that familiar sensation again. Something was coming, something familiar, something that she knew. She moved her head trying to find the source. But there was smoke everywhere. It stung her eyes, it blurred her vision. She couldn't tell what was going on. The only thing she saw was Rukia's tiny back right in front of her and she had to follow it no matter what.

A sudden explosion tore the ground behind her throwing Orihime to the side.

"Inoue!" Rukia yelled running into her direction.

"NO! Stay back!" Orihime cried, "Get to Ichigo, te-"

"CERO."

She stopped mid sentence and slowly turned her head. A demon stood a few feet away with his outstretched arm pointing at the place where an army of monsters was just a second ago.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

In a slow graceful motion the demon returned his arm back to his side and slightly tilted his head into her direction.

"Get up, Inoue Orihime." he spoke in a low monotone.

Orihime complied trying to stand on shaky legs as the remains of her shock wore off. She did not expect this turn of events, or to run into him here. After all this time and waiting he still just stood there and casually looked at her like they've only seen each other yesterday. His nonchalant attitude was always a mystery, but right now Orihime was simply annoyed by it.

Nothing ever shook or surprised him. Even under the gravest of circumstances he would still remain completely impassionate even if the whole world exploded. He was his own master, his own god, always invading her world without asking.

"I need to speak with Kurosaki Ichigo." he said turning to Rukia.

"Everyone is up ahead." she replied a little surprised, "I will go meet with them." then ran off disappearing into the smoke.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime and took a few steps towards her. "You are being careless. If you don't measure your strength, you won't complete another mission."

"You don't have to bother with me." she said curtly. "We were expecting you to come much earlier. Everyone thought that you would never show up."

"It is my duty to be here and to fulfill the obligation from five years ago."

Orihime studied him with uncertainty. She simply could not accept that everything that he did was only out of his sense of duty.Whether it was the wrong time and place did not matter any longer. She had to find out for herself. This has been eating her for the last month and she almost gave up on the idea that Ulquiorra still harbored anything that resembled feelings for her, convincing herself again that she had to forget the past. But every time she thought she succeeded, she failed as soon as he came into her view. He was her magnet, her curse, her undoing. Orihime knew that this had to be resolved once and for all with some form of closure.

"And that's all it is?" with a few easy strides she was finally face to face with him.

"What do you expect me to say?" he asked with his usual indifference. "To yield to your ridiculous human sentimentality?"

"I expect you to be honest with me, and with yourself. If none of it matters to you, I will accept it. I just need to know the truth."

"This is all meaningless. We don't have the time to…"

"Tell me!" she interrupted him, "Tell me that I am nothing to you and I will never bother you again!"

Ulquiorra stared down at her. Even though he did not show it, Orihime knew that her question took him by surprise. She did not expect him to confess his love for her. Love was pretty much impossible with him. And neither did she expect a declaration of any kind. Orihime just wanted to know what went on inside his head. Even if he said "yes", even if she was no bigger than an insect to him, that was still better than not knowing.

"Please..."

"I cannot." he replied quietly.

Orihime sighed lowering her head. "You're impossible." she said leaning forward and pressing her forehead against his chest. "Why is it so hard for you to say what you mean?"

Despite her bold familiarity, Ulquiorra did not flinch or move her away. He stood perfectly still letting her rest against him without saying a word. The warmth of her skin sent tiny jolts of electricity through his body but he welcomed the sensation. It made him feel he was alive. For the first time in five years he finally realized how much he wanted to experience this again, to feel the familiar ache in his chest as soon as she was near. All of his attempts at trying to suppress it, until there was nothing but numbness, became useless as soon as she appeared in his life again. Effortlessly, Inoue Orihime eased five years of emptiness as soon as she touched him.

Realizing that she will not get an answer out of him, Orihime shifted and finally pulled away.

"Are you just going to leave after this is over?" she asked, reluctantly raising her eyes to his.

"I will do what is necessary, and so will you."

"But…"

"We have a mission to complete. Everything else is irrelevant." He said curtly, but Ulquiorra knew that it was far from the truth. And the truth wasn't something that he dared to admit even to himself.

Orihime lowered her eyes staring at the ground. Talking to him was pointless. Ulquiorra was stubborn and proud who rarely revealed his emotions even to her. Getting the truth out of him was simply impossible.

"They are here." she heard him say again.

Orihime followed his gaze seeing something coming towards them. Soon, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and a few other Arrancar stood several feet away from them.

"Have you taken care of the rest of the enemy?" Ulquiorra asked them.

"Yeah, looks like they stopped for now." Grimmjow answered. "And look who is here!" he switched his gaze to Orihime.

"Looks like your little pet is a big shot now." Nnoitra grinned looking at her uniform.

Orihime smiled faintly at their usual tactics. After all these years, they remained as brash as always.

"We are here to meet with the Shinigami." Ulquiorra said. "Kurosaki Ichigo is on his way."

Soon, Orihime felt the familiar riatsu approaching, and a few seconds later her friends were standing in front of them.

"Inoue!" Ichigo's said. "Are you alright?"

"She is unharmed." Ulquiorra answered.

"Took you long enough to show up." Ichigo scowled at him. "What was the wait all about?"

"We have business to discuss." Ulquiorra replied. "Aizen still has the Hougyoku and uses it to manipulate his armies. It also increases their strength and regeneration abilities."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "How do we get rid of it? Aizen has it inside of him so we can't just take it."

Ulquiorra's gaze shifted to Orihime. "This woman's rejection abilities can erase it from existence. Most of Aizen's powers come from it. So when it is gone, it will take the majority of his riatsu with it. But there is also a possibility it might not work because we don't know what kind of new power he is using."

"This sounds like a good plan," Ichigo said thoughtfully, "But what would happen to the Arrancar who were created with it?"

"There is a chance it will alter our existence by reverting us back to regular hollows. Or nothing might happen at all."

"What a load of bullshit." Grimmjow cursed, "We have to put ourselves on the line while those bastards enjoy their victory?"

"Hougyoku cannot be easily destroyed. It is possible that it can be rejected, but without implications."

"No!" Orihime cried, "I refuse. There has to be another way."

"It does not matter," Ulquiorra replied, "Your first priority is to defeat Aizen. And this is the best solution."

"It matters to _me_." she insisted.

Ulquiorra understood her persistence. She was worried, this much was obvious, and it gave him certain pleasure to think that he was important to her. But they had a mission to complete. Letting personal feelings take over priorities could compromise everything.

"You…and the rest of the Arrancar can be potential allies to Soul Society." Orihime said, "Surely there is a better way to defeat Aizen without putting anyone at risk."

"Resisting this is futile." he answered with finality, "One way or another, the final decision will insure the quickest and most efficient way to get rid of Aizen. Your obstinacy is only delaying the inevitable."

Before she had a chance to respond, a Senkai gate opened announcing the arrival of Soul Society. And a few seconds later Yamamoto and five other captains walked through it.

"You've kept us waiting long enough, Arrancar." Yamamoto said.

Ulquiorra looked at him dispassionately meeting a very accusing gaze of the Captain General.

"Due to the recent activity and increased attacks we have reasons to believe that Aizen is mobilizing for a full scale invasion into Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. We are expecting you and your subordinates to be available for assistance at all times."

Despite his authorial tone, Ulquiorra did not bother objecting to it. Hueco Mundo was not subject to Soul Society's influence, but the Shinigami still did not miss a chance to show their superiority over the hollows. And at the end they picked the safest option which guaranteed the least amount of loses on their side.

"More so," Yamamoto continued, "Aizen is most likely to make an appearance that will give us an opportunity to remove Hougyoku from him. We will ask Inoue Orihime to reject it, and you know what it means for the Arrancar."

"Maybe you should consider other options if the risk is high." Ichigo said.

"Other options will take months to analyze." Yamamoto replied. "We do not have the time for that. If we lose Aizen now, he might not reappear for years."

Ulquiorra tilted his head to look at Orihime, who was standing next to her friends observing the debate between him and everyone else. She was glancing anxiously from him to Ichigo to the Captain General with hope in her eyes, silently preying that they would reconsider. But the decision was already made, leaving her wondering if the price for defeating Aizen was too much of a sacrifice for everyone.

* * *

After the meeting at the ruins, the Arrancar and Shinigami separated to each prepare for the major battle ahead. But, despite the expectations, the next few months were uneventful save for a few usual skirmishes in the ruins. Ulquiorra and Orihime barely saw each other except during the fights in Karakura Town, and even then their meetings were short and quickly ended after brief encounters. But Aizen didn't let them wait for too long. One day, a giant portal opened above Seireitei revealing an enormous army of every single type of monstrosity that they faced in Karakura Town.

Orihime ran through the streets of nearly destroyed Seireitei. Just an hour ago she was at the Kuchiki estate visiting Rukia and enjoying the little moments of peace they had. Everything was nice and quiet until a huge explosion blasted through the air followed by a wild roar. And a few moments later, the streets where filled with monsters rampaging through everything in their path.

She tried to sense for anyone familiar but it was useless. The clash of metal, smoke, yelling, screaming, bestial roar and more explosions were everywhere. They made her ears ring and clouded her vision. Orihime narrowed her eyes trying to see beyond the smoke, but there was nothing but fire.

The smell of burning flesh made her cringe and she covered her nose. Perhaps it was better that she did not see anything after all. Continuing to move forward, Orihime finally saw a slight movement in the distance and increased her pace coming to a clearing. There were several dozen monsters hovering over the bodies of the dead Shinigami, and as if sensing her presence they slowly turned their heads into her direction. Orihime swallowed nervously, seeing their dark and lifeless eyes staring at her. Jerking their bodies in violent spasms, they slowly started moving towards her increasing their pace as they came closer. Orihime braced herself for battle, but there were too many to cut down in one single attack. She had to be careful.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" she yelled watching Tsubaki slash through the first batch in one single swipe.

To her utter shock, the monsters fell down only to rise again in just a few seconds. This wasn't something that she had anticipated by a long shot. Not only did they completely outnumber her, but they did not die either. She threw Tsubaki a few more times but it was no use. The monsters rose every single time after each attack.

Seeing her dilemma, Orihime started to slowly move backwards hoping that they would not follow her. But, she wasn't that lucky. As soon as she began retreating, the monsters took off after her.

She started running not knowing where she was going. _If I can't defeat them, maybe at least I can slow them down! _But they quickly caught up to her. Tsubaki slashed through the front row and the creatures fell only to rise up again.

Orihime frantically looked around trying to think. There had to be something she could do against them.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" she yelled again. But this time, Tsubaki went through the walls of the surrounding buildings breaking them in giant chunks and crushing on the horde behind her. Orihime glanced back noticing that the monsters did not rise again.

With a sigh of relief she slowed down to catch her breath only to hear growling again. And a moment later, Orihime was laying on her back coming face to face with a monster. They stared at each other for a few seconds until it opened its mouth showing rows of deformed half-rotten teeth. _Koten Zanshun, I reject._ But before her fairy could come out, the monster sunk its fangs into her shoulder. Orihime yelled out in pain. _Tsubaki!_ The tiny light impaled the monster through the chest having it collapse on top of her. Feeling herself being crushed under its weight, she tried to push it off of her only to hear the growling again. It rose over her the second time pushing its fangs into her skin. Orihime ground her teeth in pain. Warm blood gushed out of her wounds and ran down her body soiling her uniform. With the last remains of her strength, she managed to free one arm trying to reach for a brick lying nearby.

The monster roared out as soon as it connected with its head. Orihime hit it again and again until she heard a crack. Then it fell down on the grown writhing in pain. With one last try Orihime raised the stone over her head and brought it down as hard as she could. _Splat! _The monster finally stopped moving.

She slowly got up clutching one hand to her wound and trying to catch her breath. The pain was excruciating and she felt like fainting. But she couldn't collapse with the enemies being everywhere. Orihime scanned the area trying to find a safe place to heal and replenish her strength, but there was nothing bur rubble all around her.

"Yo!"

She jumped in surprise.

"Trying to get yourself killed while Ulquiorra is not looking?"

_Grimmjow!_

"W-what…are…you doing….here?" she asked panting.

"What am I doing? I was about to save your ass. But, damn, looks like I didn't need to."

Orihime bit her lip trying to suppress the pain. She could barely stand anymore.

"Hey! Don't think I just came here for that! There is some serious shit going on. So _he_ sent me to investigate."

"Isn't he coming to help?"

"He will, but they have their hands full in Las Noches right now. That bastard Aizen sure outdid himself this time."

Orihime finally felt her legs giving out from losing too much blood and sank to the ground. From the corner of her eye she saw Grimmjow coming up to her.

"Fix yourself up," her said looking down at her. "I am not into dragging around girls who bleed all over the place."

Orihime closed her eyes pulling the last bits of her strength together.

"Hurry up and do it! It looks like Aizen finally made his appearance."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"It's been a long time, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen watched him with the familiar smirk on his face.

He knew everything, he feared nothing. He was the law himself, who came to this realm to punish all those who defied him, and it was only time until Soul Society fell to their knees before the power that he unleashed from the Hell itself.

"This ends here, Aizen. No more games. You're done for."

"Such fierce look," Aizen chuckled. "Do you really despise me that much?"

Ichigo glared at him extending his sword forward. His nemesis stood in front of him with an overwhelming air of arrogance, looking down at the destruction his relentless army wrecked all around them.

"Ban Kai!" Aizen's conceit pissed him off to no end. And even if he couldn't beat him, he at least wanted to wipe that obnoxious smirk off of his face.

Just a moment ago, a faint trace of the Arrancar's riatsu appeared in the distance, but it was still unclear where they were. The only thing left to do was to try holding Aizen off as much as possible until they got there.

"That silly Ban Kai again? Haven't you learned that it is useless against me? Nothing will change for you, ryoka boy."

"It does not matter! I will make sure to land a few blows before the reinforcements arrive."

Aizen looked unmoved. "_Until the reinforcements__ arrive_ you say? How amusing. You place a great deal of trust in the hollows."

"It's not like you could ever understand, since you are not capable of trusting anyone, even your subordinates."

"This is even more interesting than before." Aizen gave a soft laugh, "Who would've thought that Soul Society would sink so low as to ally themselves with the hollows. And what is this trust you are talking about? Trusting someone is the same as depending on them. That is something only the weak would do. I have no use for it."

"I've had enough of your games!" Ichigo yelled. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Aizen easily evaded the blow watching the black ball of lightening crushing into the buildings below and vaporizing monsters scattered around them. The smirk never left his face. Ichigo glared at him angrily. That bastard was just watching him. He was mocking him! And he was even stronger than before with every bit of ruthlessness and lack of regard for anyone who served him.

"What did it take for the Hell to trust you?"

"Trust me? I never told anyone to trust me. All living things follow someone who is more powerful than them. The Hell wanted a taste of my power to make them stronger and they followed me. All kings and gods are born that way. And I am their god, and soon to be yours as well."

"Bullshit! You are nothing but a murderer!"

Ichigo swung his sword launching forward. This time Aizen did not bother dodging it and instead put his weapon in front of him parrying the blow.

"Even though you've gotten a lot stronger, Kurosaki Ichigo, your attacks are sloppy. Are you placing all of your hopes into the Vasto Lord? Do you really believe his power will be your salvation?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You must've noticed Ulquiorra's change after you fought him on the dome. The remains of his mask and the hollow hole are gone. Were you not curious at all why that happened?"

Ichigo stared at him in confusion not certain whether Aizen was serious of just playing his usual mind games. Yet, the distant conversation with Urahara went through his memory. Ulquiorra was not the same after their fight on top of Las Noches, yet nobody ever mentioned the details and Ichigo didn't give it much thought. But he did notice that the former Espada looked different. On the surface he resembled a normal human.

"Are you telling me that Ulquiorra is a Vasto Lord? How is that possible?"

"Vasto Lords are a rare breed of hollows who achieve the highest level or physical, emotional, and mental evolution which hardly any hollow can survive." Aizen said in response. "That is why there are so few of them. Once an Arrancar undergoes significant emotional changes and comes near death, only then can they achieve that metamorphosis. To put it simply, once they manage to gain back their lost hearts under dire circumstances, they evolve into perfection."

Ichigo grinned. "And that's great news for us! If he is so much more powerful, we will definitely defeat you."

"You are as naïve as ever, boy. His power has yet to surpass mine."

* * *

"Hurry up, damn you! We've already wasted too much time!" Grimmjow yelled in irritation.

Orihime stumbled trying to catch up to him. Her injuries were mostly healed but it took a bit longer to regenerate her riatsu, which slowed her speed and coordination.

"Kurosaki is already fighting Aizen up ahead. Move it if you want to get there in time!"

Orihime glared at him but did not argue. Grimmjow was as rude as always, but he was right about one thing. The fight was escalating and she needed to get there as soon as possible to finish what she set out to do.

The smoke cleared a little and Orihime was able to make out figures in the distance feeling Ichigo's familiar riatsu. Him and Aizen were up in the air a dozen feet away from each other. She witnessed her friend trying to attack the enemy, but he either dodged or parried every blow.

"You should've used hollowfication before you attacked me. And that's what you're thinking right now, isn't it?" Aizen said. "But even if you did, that would've been a waste."

Ichigo put his hollow mask on and jumped towards Aizen only to land at an empty space. Orihime watched in horror as Aizen quickly materialized behind him extending his arm into Ichigo's direction, yet he just stood there without doing anything. _He is taunting him! Trying to intimidate!_

"With one quick blow I could've taken out your heart before you had a chance to detect my location. Do you now understand the extent of my power?"

Ichigo did not say anything. He was breathing hard as his mind raced trying to think of a plan. No matter what he did, he couldn't touch him and if this continued they were surely going to lose. He moved his head studying his surroundings, trying to find something he could use. Rukia was a tiny dot down below and he could see the rest of his friends moving towards her. Then he saw Grimmjow running into his direction with Orihime right behind him.

"Don't lose your concentration, Kurosaki Ichigo."

The voice startled him.

"Ulquiorra…" he exhaled with relief. "Did you just get here?"

"I had to fight my way through." Ulquiorra said turning to Aizen, "So, you've finally shown yourself."

"My dear Espada," Aizen responded in a smooth voice, "It has certainly been a while. But are you really planning to fight me?"

"My job is to make sure you do not destroy this realm." Ulquiorra answered coolly, "You are a threat, and I see you as someone who must be annihilated." He extended his arm into his direction. "Cero."

Aizen avoided it. "Why am I a threat? Do you have a grudge against me?" He moved his head to glance down at Orihime, "Inoue Orihime is alive and unharmed. Then why do you hate me?"

Ulquiorra looked down at Orihime then back at him. "You are not worthy of my hate." he answered sonidoing towards him.

Orihime squinted her eyes trying to follow their movements but they were too fast. She was only able to see flashes of light and glimpses of black wings as the two forms collided. Ulquiorra's attacks were quick and precise following Aizen wherever he went. But Aizen was still able to deflect them without much effort.

"I know what you are fighting for." Aizen said parrying another blow. "But attacking me without hatred is useless. You won't be able to protect anything like that."

Ulquiorra did not respond and moved forward again. He knew exactly what Aizen was doing. Mind games and subtle intimidation were his favorite methods to confuse his opponents. He aimed at getting their minds off of the fight, and have them lose concentration. Overpowering wasn't good enough; he also wanted to completely break them down mentally.

After another blow, Ulquiorra jumped backwards and looked around. Ichigo was a few feet away observing the fight. Orihime and everyone else were directly below him. Ulquiorra considered powering up, but Lanza del Relampago was too much of an attack to be used within such a close proximity.

"Keep him busy." he told Ichigo, and then descended to the ground.

Orihime watched Ulquiorra coming towards her. She couldn't read his face but she knew that something was happening that made him change his tactics. He landed in front of her and looked back watching Ichigo fighting Aizen.

"It is time." she heard him say.

"You don't mean…?"

"While Kurosaki is keeping Aizen occupied, concentrate all of your energy on rejecting Hougyoku."

"Couldn't you try anything else against him?" she asked anxiously.

"Using all of my riatsu trying to beat him will take a lot of time and effort. We need to end this quickly."

Orihime swallowed hard. "But what Aizen said, was it true? That you're a Vasto Lord?"

Ulquiorra slowly turned his head to look at her. "It is true."

"Then why can't you make an effort without me killing you?"

"Woman…I did not come here to die. I came here to live, and to make sure that you survive through this as well."

"But what if I-?"

"Not another word." he cut her off. "There are no other options but this. Do it."

Orihime felt her heart sink but she couldn't object to Ulquiorra's frosty gaze. His mind was made up without giving her an option to protest.

_Sōten Kisshun, I reject. _The tiny fairies flew towards Aizen forming a shield over his chest. Orihime extended her arms forward feeling Hougyoku's power starting to slowly slip away. In just a few minutes it would completely disappear taking part of her heart with it. And even though it went against everything she was fighting for, she still silently prayed that somehow it would not work, that someone would interfere and prevent it from happening.

_You are a foolish girl._ Orihime gasped at the foreign voice inside her mind. She turned her head trying to find where it was coming from then froze seeing Aizen smiling down at her.

With one swift move he broke the shield returning Hougyoku to its original form. She widened her eyes in surprise as soon as the link broke off. Even her rejection powers were useless against him. What kind of monster was he?

"I am amused by your presumptuousness, Inoue Orihime." he said coming towards her. "Although your powers impress me, they are still not enough."

"You will fight _me_," Ulquiorra said coming between them. "Before anyone else."

"You are as sharp as ever, Ulquiorra. But do you honestly believe I don't know what you're doing? What is it that you seek by siding with Soul Society? They are just exploiting your power against me. You have nothing to gain by fighting for them."

Ulquiorra did not wait for him to attack and moved toward.

"Or is it because of the girl?" Aizen asked putting his sword forward to deflect the attack. "Despite the so-called 'heart', do you honestly believe a hollow can feel? You were made for battle. Power is your greatest attribute. You will never achieve true strength if you waste it on human emotions."

But Ulquiorra did not react. He remained silent throwing more attacks and following his every move. He knew that Aizen was trying to distract him and throw him off balance, but he refused to yield to his provocation. He might've been right about some things, but Aizen couldn't change his will. And Ulquiorra knew exactly why he fought him and why he had to win.

"That what you want will always be out of your reach, because you will never be human. This heart is just an illusion that makes you weak. Eventually, it will shrivel and die."

"Nonsense," Ulquiorra said, "I will only die if I let you kill me first."

* * *

"Dammit, this is not working." Ichigo said as soon as he landed next to Orihime and Grimmjow. "I couldn't even touch the guy, and Ulquiorra doesn't seem to be having much progress either."

"He will be able to injure him if he starts using his Vasto Lord powers. But he won't." Grimmjow replied.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because he will not only take Aizen out, but us as well."

"I tried using rejection, but it did not work." Orihime said. "I don't know what else to do."

"What the hell are you three doing?" Orihime almost jumped at the familiar sneer while Ichigo and Grimmjow calmly turned their heads to look at Nnoitra, Starrk, and the rest of the Arrancar.

"It's about time you got your asses here." Grimmjow grumbled.

"What are you mumbling there? The place was frigging overrun." Nnoitra said.

"We destroyed the majority of Aizen's army, but there are still some left scattered around." Starrk added.

"Shit, if Ulquiorra did not run off as soon as he found out that Aizen showed up, we would've been here sooner."

"Whatever," Grimmjow said, "While you are all standing here, I'll go take a shot at him."

Nnoitra and Starrk exchanged glances and jumped after him, the rest of the Arrancar followed.

"Inoue, you have to try it again." Ichigo turned to her, "Rukia and everyone else are nearby ready to attack. As soon as you see us up there fighting Aizen, try rejecting Hougyoku again while we provide enough distraction."

He didn't wait for her to answer and went up into the air. Orihime looked around seeing Rukia, Ishida, Chad, and Renji following his lead. And a few moments later, all of them were about to engage the enemy.

She closed her eyes, tiredly extending her hands in front of her. But Orihime knew that no matter how much she tried, Aizen would still break through her powers. He was already an unrelenting force back when she stayed in Las Noches, that couldn't be broken by anyone, and right now he was even more terrifying than before.

"Sōten Kisshun," she whispered, mentally aiming her power at the target.

"You persistence amazes me, but what did you plan to accomplish with it?" her eyes flew open at the voice behind her.

She knew who it belonged to but did not dare to turn around and look at him. Even though Orihime could not see him, she could feel him smiling at her that sent shivers down her spine. His mere presence was overwhelming. She couldn't move feeling herself being suffocated.

"Inoue, watch out!" Ichigo yelled coming towards her.

With a slight movement of his sword, Aizen sent a jolt of energy towards him making him jump out of the way.

"I always knew your power was valuable," he continued in a silky voice, "Should I show you how to use it?"

"What are you…?" Orihime asked in alarm as she saw his arm extend towards her, "No!" A second ticked until there was a beam of light coming her way.

Instinctively, she called out her fairies to block the attack, but before the shield appeared Orihime felt something grabbing her and moving her away with an enormous speed. Instantly, she recognized the riatsu without having to lift her head and look at the face of her savior.

Ulquiorra set her down, and stared at Aizen without moving a muscle. _What is he waiting for?_ Orihime thought looking between the two of them. Then she saw Ichigo running into their direction.

"Is everyone alright?" he yelled coming up to them, the rest were right behind him.

"We need to attack him all together." Rukia said. "That way we might overwhelm him."

Her friends nodded and everyone assumed the battle positions.

"You know what to do." Ulquiorra said without bothering to look at the Arrancar.

* * *

**I wrote chapters 15 and 16 as one continuous long chapter without realizing how long it was. So, I decided to cut it up in half to match the size of the rest of the chapters.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Orihime was left alone watching her friends and the hollows fighting their former master. All of her attempts to reject Hougyoku had failed and there was nothing else she could do but hope that everyone else could change the course of the battle. Maybe if she tried harder, without letting her personal feelings get in the way, she would've succeeded. But despite the outcome, Orihime was glad that she didn't, yet it did not make her feel any less guilty. What if a better effort would've actually rejected it and helped them defeat Aizen? What if..? But it was already too late to be guessing about it.

Ulquiorra's movements seemed quicker and more precise. He was everywhere, and for the first time during the battle, Aizen looked overwhelmed by the sheer amount of force he was putting into his attacks. With a swipe of his hand he cut through his chest, ripping Aizen's clothing and revealing Hougyoku stuck right above his stomach. Aizen widened his eyes in surprise and jumped backwards.

"Your attacks have gotten stronger," he said, "If it was anyone other than me, who absorbed Hougyoku, this battle would've been over. But my power still exceeds your own, so do not fool yourself into believing that you hurt me."

Ulquiorra did not say a word. He continued attacking with the same unyielding mechanical force as before, making Aizen stop fighting back. Now he just dodged the incoming blows, finally taking a few steps backwards and sonidoing out of Ulquiorra's reach.

Orihime looked at his bloodied chest staring at Hougyoku. Could it really not be destroyed? _It's not how you should do it, but how you want it to be done!_ A familiar voice whispered in her head. _Why did I ever think I should use the time reversal?_ That technique could've worked under different circumstances, if she had more time, but not at that moment. Orihime had to use something faster, something that did not need time and concentration.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

As soon as she uttered the words, Aizen turned into her direction with a smug look on his face and watched the tiny light shooting towards him without any attempt to dodge it. Orihime only prayed that his self-assurance would work to her advantage. Tsubaki smashed against Hougyoku with a crashing force pushing Aizen backwards. But he quickly recovered and stood up looking down at her seemingly unperturbed. A second later everyone heard a cracking sound.

Aizen glanced at his chest then back at Orihime and smiled. "I congratulate you, Orihime. You managed to break a chip away. But it does not matter, Hougyoku still lives."

Ulquiorra landed next to her looking back at Aizen in silence. Orihime felt his riatsu fluctuating. He was preparing for a power up.

"Soul Society is destroyed and the Shinigami suffered considerable casualties. More so, you succeeded at damaging Hougyoku. I've seen everything I came here for, so there is no point for me to stay."

"You are retreating, why?" Ulquiorra asked.

"After so much time passed, I was curious to see your progress. However, I also wanted to test the powers of Hougyoku. Thanks to you, now I know that it is not perfect. But it does not matter, you still failed to destroy it and beat me."

He opened the dimensional gate and turned towards it.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo called after him.

"Soul Society is weak and poses no threat. I can always comeback and finish the job after Hougyoku replenishes itself." He turned his head sideways, "You can thank Inoue Orihime for that. However, she only delayed the inevitable." Aizen said stepping through the portal.

"Wait a minute! You can't just leave in the middle of a fight!" Ichigo yelled.

"The initial battle has come to a conclusion. But devouring all of you will have to be postponed until a later opportunity. I am giving you one last chance to gather your strength and prove yourselves in front of your god when we meet again."

And with those words he disappeared through the portal.

* * *

Even though Aizen left Soul Society devastated, not everything was completely hopeless as now it was clear that he was not invincible. Despite his self-confidence and superiority over everyone else, it was obvious that with the right amount of force he could be defeated, Hougyoku could be destroyed and the war would be over. Nobody knew when he would show up again and how long it would take for him to fix the stone, but one thing was certain, nobody wanted to wait. They knew where he went and where to follow him and the plans to go after him were already set in motion. Seireitei would eventually be restored, but giving him another opportunity to destroy it was out of the question.

All of the wounded were gathered on the Soukyouko hill for the fourth squad to heal them. The rest, who were still able, tried to clear the rubble out of the way. Ulquiorra stood away from everyone and observed the commotion watching Orihime healing the injured. She periodically wiped her forehead and stopped for a few seconds to catch her breath. Her exhaustion was obvious, but there was still too much to do before anyone could take a well deserved break.

"Are you planning to go back to Hueco Mundo?" he heard Ichigo coming up to him.

"When it is time, I don't like to rush." Ulquiorra answered not taking his eyes off Orihime.

"But before you go, we need to discuss our next move."

"Then we will wait." He turned to Ichigo, "How long will it take for Soul Society to rebuild itself?"

"I don't know. It might take a while. But you and I both know that we cannot delay. Aizen thinks he already defeated us and we need to prove him wrong."

"I am not planning to wait for too long. Start gathering your allies as soon as everyone is ready."

Ichigo nodded then glanced at Orihime. "You know, about Inoue…"

"Hey!" they turned their heads seeing Grimmjow's annoyed face, "For how along are we gonna be staying in this dump? Aizen is gone so let's get outta here!"

"You need to wait until the dimensional gate is fixed. And once that's done we will probably go after him from here." Ichigo replied. "But he might be waiting for us to do just that."

"It does not matter," Ulquiorra said, "Now we know the extent of his power and the fact that Inoue Orihime's abilities can damage Hougyoku. More so, we can pinpoint his location so there is no reason to stall."

"It can also be a trap." Ichigo said.

"I don't care," Grimmjow grumbled, "That bastard believes he is tough shit so I am not about to let him think that he beat us."

"If we can have Inoue successfully destroy Hougyoku, it will make it a lot easier for us to defeat him."

"Whatever you two decide doesn't matter to me." Grimmjow said turning to leave, "As long as I get out of here and kick his ass, it's fine by me."

Ichigo looked at his retreating figure then turned back at Ulquiorra, "Aizen now knows about Inoue's ability to damage Hougyoku. And he will do something about it."

"A strong woman like her," Ulquiorra replied, "will not let Aizen hurt her so easily."

* * *

A few hours passed since she healed the last Shinigami and was finally able to take a break. Everyone did the best they could to clear away the rubble to build a camp for the survivors. And soon Soukyouko was quiet again after everyone was moved to the newly established base in front of what used to be the headquarters of the first squad.

Finally being able to get a break, Orihime cleaned up and met with her friends. They briefly discussed the preparations for their trip to the Hell dimension, and after making sure that everyone was alright, she took off to think and have some time to herself. Even though the Arrancar were not unwelcome, they still chose to be by themselves and tried to avoid any possible contact with the Shinigami. Yet, she did not see Ulquiorra among them. Orihime looked around trying to find a glimpse of him but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, she felt his riatsu some distance away from the camp and started walking into its direction.

Ulquiorra was in the same place where she saw him last. Orihime climbed up to the top of Soukyouko hill and looked around. He was standing at the far edge looking into the distance with his hands in his pockets. She took a few steps closer finally noticing that he was in his normal human looking form and it gave her a sense of nostalgia.

"I haven't seen you like this in a while." She said coming up to stand next to him.

"There is no need for me to remain in my released state after the battle is over." He replied without looking at her.

Orihime did not respond and cast her gaze at the horizon. Despite the smoke still hanging in the air, she could see the last rays of sun disappearing behind the mountains. It was hard to believe that only several hours ago this was a war zone, and now everything was quiet and peaceful, not a sound except for her own heartbeat.

She looked at Ulquiorra's profile. He was calm and composed just as he always was. Nothing was ever out of place, except for the wind slightly ruffling his hair. Mechanically, she lifted her hand and moved it away from his forehead, then suddenly tensed after realizing what she has done. Ulquiorra turned his head to meet her eyes, but did not say anything.

"I'm sorry." Orihime said nervously, and snatched her hand away.

"Are you prepared to face Aizen again?" he asked quietly.

"I am as prepared as I can be. There isn't much time left for training."

"This fight was only a test. The real battle is still ahead of us. And now that Aizen knows what you can do, he will make you his target."

"I know." Orihime said, "I am ready for anything as long as we can defeat him and stop his tyranny."

Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment. "Are you scared?"

"No….as long as you are with me."

Her bold words slightly surprised him and he wasn't sure how to respond. Ulquiorra already knew that he will do everything he could to protect her, yet it seemed like there was another meaning to what she said. But he did not dare to question it. Resolving to separate from her was his priority. He was a hollow and she was a human turned Shinigami. There was no future for them, especially with Aizen around. Yet, no matter what he decided for himself, the thoughts of her never stopped haunting him.

"Do not bother yourself with irrelevant things and concentrate on the battle ahead."

Orihime sighed but did not let his words get to her. "Perhaps it is you," she said "who pretends to ignore what's important."

"What do you mean?"

"This." She touched her hand to his chest, "No matter how hard to try, you can't forget some things. I know you want to because you think it is for the best, but maybe it is not."

They stared at each other before she spoke again. "No matter what you say, you know you need me, just like I need you."

"This is impossible." Ulquiorra put his hand over hers, "I am not human and I will never become one."

Orihime smiled and touched her other hand to his cheek taking a step closer. "I don't care who you are. " She said in a half whisper, "To me you are a man."

She saw his lips part as if he wanted to say something, yet nothing came out. They stood and quietly looked at each other until Orihime slowly tilted her head upward and touched her lips to his. At first he did not respond, then she saw him releasing her hand, that still touched his chest, and felt his arms encircling her waist bringing her close to him. Their faces were very close as he looked down at her for a moment before covering her month with his. Their lips parted and she brought her arms around his neck to brush her fingers through his hair. It was surprisingly soft and silky which did not match at all with the rest of him.

Orihime found it ironic that it took a war to get them this far. Would things had changed if Aizen disappeared for good and never returned? Would they still have fallen in love? Or would everything have been different and they wouldn't have been here at all? None of it really mattered anymore. Right here and right now it was just them, and she was happy despite the grave circumstances. More importantly, he loved her. No matter what he's said and done, his feelings were known. The unbreakable wall finally cracked revealing nothing but a man. This was Ulquiorra, her castle, her fortress, her demon that would hide and protect her from anything that ever threatened to hurt her.

The kiss finally broke but she did not want to let him go. Orihime tightened her grip around his neck and put her head on his shoulder. Ulquiorra stood, quietly holding her around the waist feeling her warm breath against his neck.

She sighed, "I wish we had more time." and reluctantly released her hold taking a step backwards.

Ulquiorra did not respond and silently watched the moonlight dancing in her eyes.

"Don't you want to say anything?" she asked nervously.

The cool night wind disturbed the air and Orihime brought her arms around herself feeling a chill going down her spine.

"We will discuss this tomorrow." he finally responded, "Return to your quarters until someone comes looking for you."

She managed a smile, then slowly turned around and started walking away. He watched her go until she disappeared down the hill still feeling the kiss burning on his lips.

_Thump._

Ulquiorra brought his hand to his chest feeling the rapid beat against his palm. _How does it feel not having a hollow hole?_ She asked him so long ago. At that moment he couldn't explain it, the strange sensation that made him feel a distant pain that refused to leave him alone. He didn't even remember when it started, only that it happened after he met her, the woman whose image burned into his mind forever.

_Thump._

At first he cursed his own weakness and his inability to suppress this human emotion that he deemed to be beneath him, but soon it devoured him whole leaving nothing but a burning desire to possess one person that he thought he couldn't have. Yet, after being with her, holding her again and feeling her touch, Ulquiorra realized that he will never be able to rid himself of her, and neither did he want to. She was in his mind, in his blood, in his soul. Her presence was everywhere and he was done running away from it.

He wanted her, needed her, all of her, always. Their meeting all of those years ago was no other than destiny that set in motion something that neither of them could escape, and no matter how far they ran, they always returned to each other. The red string of fate was steadfast and strong that tied them together for all eternity without allowing to drift away.

_Thump._

This human heart was not as easy to break as he thought. It had a will of its own that smashed every single barrier he spent years putting up around him. Its one wish was to connect him to this woman forever, and there was nothing left to do but to obey it.

* * *

~END~

* * *

**The story is over and I am a little sad but happy that I was finally able to complete it. It took me 6 months to write it. And now it's done.**

**I did not kill Aizen because as of right now he can't be killed even by the top dogs among the Shinigami. And I really have no idea how to go around his god mode. Kubo really got me there.  
**

**There won't be a sequel because UlquiHime has been MIA for over a year and there is no new material to write about. And I don't want to be pulling a random plot out of my a** for the sake of a story. Hopefully, Kubo-sensei will bring the Emobat back soon so we can see our favorite ship reunite.**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing!**


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